KEEP WORKIN' IT...;

 

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts
of heaven and earth will pause to say,
here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

When you were growing up what did you want to be?  What?

 

When I was growing up I wanted to be a nurse...for awhile.

Then I just wanted to grow up...for awhile.

Then I wanted to meet Prince Charming...for awhile.

Then I met Michael and forgot the prince.

Then I wanted to be a wife...until I wanted more.

Then I wanted to be a mother and a wife...forever!

 

Opportunities were around in my 'young life'...just a tad different from today.  An ordinary person can be almost anything they want if they work at it hard and long enough...you know, like give it all you've got.    

 

There are catches though...catches throw monkey wrenches into the best of plans. 

 

Graduate from high school and what's next?  College for some, trade schools, apprentices for others...jobs...work...it's rather a necessity.

 

Thinking way, way back...life was simple until the first couple messed up and got themselves evicted from the wonderful Garden of Eden.  That wow moment was followed by an even bigger one...a thing called work reared its head and lives changed.

 

Work, work and more work...all kinds of work.  Population increased introducing  more change...even the 'pecking order' came into play.

 

 

Fast forward to this year.  Work, for many, is difficult to find...company loyalty to employees isn't what it once was.  I only know a few who were able to spend their entire career working for one company...job security is shaky at best.  Buy-outs, bankruptcies...cut-backs...re-structuring...take-overs...talk about stress!

 

Michael and I were fortunate to see China close up; we taught those young Chinese college Freshmen and Sophomore students conversational English.  In many of the Chinese colleges they only study their majors.  In our case, the kids were English majors so all they studied was English.  How's that prepping them for living and working in society?  We couldn't imagine and actually those graduates found there were few jobs.  So, many were introduced to the 'dishwasher's society'. 

 

People in China looked down on those positions...as they do in many countries.  Rather like a big 'caste' system; are we all snobs?                             

 "Every job is good if you do your best and work hard. 

A man who works hard stinks only to those who have nothing to do but smell. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder  

              

                           

The Martin Luther King quote I've posted used street sweepers as an example; in Changsha they were our friends!

 

In our housing complex we had two sweepers who rotated days.  A man and a woman...we think they were husband and wife. They lived in a tiny room attached to 'the sweeping/storage closet'; part of the deal with the housing complex. Up early ~ working late...they were also the 'garbage collectors'. 

Our kitchen, with windows, was at the front of our apartment enabling us to watch the fascinating Chinese world go by; they also watched us crazy foreigners in our space!  Much laughter on both sides...such a fun time.  

The sweeper kept the area spotless; he/she would begin every morning picking up boxes and bottles before the scavengers arrived...they were neatly gathered and sold.  Our trash...worth time and money!  Imagine that.

I always watched for them...opened my window and sign languaged a conversation.  We understood each other (sort of) as I passed specialties for their 'pick-up'...a rusty old wheelbarrow.  Talk about the smiles...we beamed and it made the days! 

Our neighbors and friends looked down on them...never noticed or paid any attention to those two who did the 'dirty work'.  Until...they watched our relationship blooming and eureka, the sweeper's became 'people'. 

Those two sweeper's did their jobs...did them well and the earth smiled. 

It doesn't matter what jobs I dreamed of...what matters is I always try doing my best...whatever it is at any time!   Whether it was...as an apprentice at my mother's feet...as Michael's wife...as the mother of Steven, Jeffrey, Patrick and Scott...as a friend for any season...a teacher...a 'big-nose foreigner' in foreign lands...God's child...my prayer is this: "That all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived Vasca who did her job well." 

 

If I could I'd whistle while I work...unfortunately I've never been able to whistle...so I sing and talk to myself instead.  Whatever works, right?

 

Here's the wrap-up; I never aspired to becoming a writer...but wouldn't you know it?  Life's full of surprises!

 

And while I'm not as successful as Snoopy...hey, I'm a writer and I love it!

          

From my thankful heart...to yours,

Vasca