It had been as hot as Hades last week – yet again – and as I noticed clerks in parking lots dragging shopping carts to return to the store, I started thinking about jobs that are hard and relatively thankless.
So, with fear of leaving out blatant candidates for this category, and with the disclaimer that my opinions are not necessarily those of the Murfreesboro Post management, here is Mrs. Murfreesboro’s list of the hardest or most thankless jobs I can think of (not necessarily in order of importance).
1) School Superintendent: City or County.
When one deals with large numbers of staff and issues (buses, lunch menus, physical plants, teachers, calendars, dress codes) there is no way you are going to make everybody happy. Absolutely NO WAY. And on top of that, they are dealing with everyone’s own little darlings which puts another spin on their task. Why anyone would agree to do it is beyond me.
2) The clerks who wake and arrive at Hardees (Or Mrs. Winner’s or wherever) to make biscuits from scratch for us at 3 a.m.
3) The employees at the Tennessee Department of Safety who renew drivers’ licenses, give road tests and handle the antagonism of Joe Public at large.
Many of the employees on Salem Highway have been there a very long time, and if ever there’s a group that has to handle more issues and disrespect than these people, I’d be hard-pressed to find them.
4) The employees at the Social Security Office.
I have mentioned earlier that I applied for benefits this year, and the sheer number of people and issues they handle (seemingly no two alike) and the pleasant manner in which they handle them make me proud to be an American. Wish we could give these hard workers pay raises instead of channeling funds to government contractors in Iraq.
5) Anyone who makes his or her living by working on roofs in the summertime.
Man, if we think we’re hot when we climb into a in a sealed-up car, imagine how they feel all week long! And after summer there’s rain and snow, not to mention the hazard of being on sloping surfaces high above the ground.
6) Employees who make their living addressing information technology problems.
You know them. They are the people in schools, businesses or on the telephone who spend hours correcting problems that we have single-handedly screwed up. Those jobs require the patience of Job, in my opinion.
7) Anyone who works behind the counter of a One Hour photo-processing lab.
In our society we want everything at our fingertips, and employees at stores with one-hour turn around must be experts at picture handling as well as people handling.
I have noted that since consumers can process their own photos at home more easily, the urgency doesn’t seem to be quite as bad as in previous years.
8) People who work for lawn-care services.
Despite the heat, these people don’t wear shorts (must need to protect their legs) and have to work at such a rapid pace you wonder if they have time to “enjoy” their jobs at all.
Likewise, the people from monthly lawn maintenance services must be a tolerant type, because they receive flack from us homeowners who tire of the seemingly weekly phone calls that their sales people make, driving you crazy while pushing further services.
9) Employees who have to make the phone call from the doctor’s office saying “Dr. _____” would like to see you. Call us back and tell us when you can be here.”
You don’t have to be too far from the end of the phone line to know where that’s going. I spoke with one nurse about it recently and she said it’s the hardest part of her work.
10) Anyone who cleans up a public restroom.
Enough said.
So, if you’re in the category of those above, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. We’ll try to offer you a cold glass of water or bigger smile in appreciation.
And we’ll hope that if you don’t enjoy your work, your efforts will be a steppingstone to one a step ahead.
‘Til next week. |
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