I host after school clubs, and I coach the speech team. These activities find me leaving 2-3 hours after most others. There is a new crew of workers who show up after the students, faculty, staff, and most if not all of administration are gone, the custodial staff. The unsung heroes who put in the work to make sure the classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms are clean when everyone comes in the next day to mess it all up. Most don't know the names or faces of those who sweep the floors, wipe off the desks, and clean the drinking fountains.
I do, and I feel lucky for that. I see them almost every day as they walk through the library to punch in to work. They roll their cleaning carts to the different parts of the school to do their work. Since I am there until 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening and sometime return later at night for one thing or another, I see this custodial staff doing what they do, and they do it really well. I have taken time to visit with most of them over the years. I get to know them. They are really neat people. They like to tease and give me a hard time about being there so late as much as I like to get to know them. Never have I heard one of them complain about the work. Never do they complain about the hours or the pay. They work hard, seem happy to be there, and they take pride in their work.
This is a lot of build up to what I witnessed recently that just brought a smile to my face and made me realize the happiness one can get from working with great people. I was on my way out at about 5:30. I hadn't seen as many of the men and women who normally pass through with their carts, but I didn't really think much about it. I figured that I just missed them. As I left the library into the hall, I heard their voices in jovial talk and laughter which is not all that uncommon actually. They had all congregated in the foods lab where they normally eat dinner or take breaks. As I was walking down the hall toward the foods lab, the owner of the cleaning company came out of the lab and said hi as she always does, but she had a bit of a hop in her step. We smiled and passed, but I saw the reason for the extra energy. As I walked past the lab, I saw that she had brought a catered dinner in for her employees.
They were laughing, razzing one another, eating like kings and queens (fried chicken, green beans, and other dinner treats) and loving life at work. I walked past and smiled to see them happy as I continued down the hallway loving that I witnessed this moment. I couldn't help but sense the camaraderie that they have built working hard and breaking bread with one another as they have for years. But tonight it was special. They count on one another. They back each other up. They are the best darn crew who keep our school looking great.
Tomorrow, take a look at the people with whom you work. Think about the good times and the difficult times. Think about the times you all had someone's back when things weren't great for them. Think about the meals you have shared with those people. Yeah, they are co-workers but aren't they just a bit more than that? Don't they help you love your job just a little more?
