Respect

What would I do without CBC radio to accompany my days? (Don't get me started on Conservative   leadership candidate Kellie Leith, who has stated that the CBC should be dismantled. )

Anyhow, today I heard an interesting show; Out in the Open. Today's episode was Who Gets to Go. It was all about public bathrooms. The part that really moved me was the interview with a bathroom cleaner. He talked about his job, with its risks of encountering germs and disease. When asked what he thought the public thinks of bathroom cleaners he replied, "We're invisible and disposable."
How sad is that?

It made me think about my own attitude towards all the people who clean up after me: the people who collect our garbage, the folks in shopping malls and airports who sweep the floors, empty the trash and clean the bathrooms. How often do any of us take the time to make eye contact, smile or thank these hard-working people?  In my time as a teacher there were plenty of opportunities to interact with the cleaning staff. Many teachers had great relationships with the school care staff. Others clearly thought janitors were beneath them and only spoke to them to give instructions or complain.

In today's interview, the cleaner asked that people give them a little respect. We should respect the people who do these jobs and also respect the next person to come along and use that bathroom stall or that shopping cart. How many times do I find dirty kleenex in my shopping cart? Tonight as I left my local Canadian Tire store, I saw a young employee bent over, picking up garbage from the store parking lot. It was mostly empty wiper blade packages. Customers went in, bought their winter wiper blades and simply threw the empty packages on the ground, before driving off. Yes, it's all about respect and consideration of others.