In Praise of the Workers

I got up early this morning, and saw Megan and Alanna off. Larry and I cried when the car pulled away with them, and we walked back up the driveway wiping away tears knowing it won't be that long before we see them again.

A few cups of coffee, and I was ready to put time in the studio. There are cards to be designed, cards to be made for orders, and I received a call for art for a book titled 1,000 Cards. I have already been in one book, and it would be nice to be in yet another. I feel this is the year of growth for my business, and I have a really positive attitude about my work and where I am going with it.

As I was heading to the house, I saw a women in a red city pick up truck stopping to pick up all of our garbage which had been forgotten as part of the trash pick up.I walked down to meet her, and ask her what had happened.

We ended up having the most amazing conversation, and I am going to have her come into my classroom to do a presentation on the importance of recycling. We laughed about women in non-traditional jobs, and I was grateful to have met this lively environmental activist who had some fascinating stories to tell. So here's to you, Jeanne Edwards, I am so pleased to have met you, someone who works behind the scenes for the city of Kingston! YOU ROCK.

I thought about how easy it is to complain about how crappy the roads are, about pitfalls of bureaucracy, how awful the schools are, etc., and we forget that though some of that may be true, there is a world full of people that work very hard to keep the mail moving, the streets and environment clean, and work with our children. If you take some time to actually get to know these people you will find out that they too are artists and activists, movers and shakers, dreamers and survivors.

So take a moment this New Year and thank someone in the public sector for the great job that they do. Spread some cheer, some love, and put out some positive energy into the world.

Patti