Today, September 3rd 2018, is a national public holiday in the US. Labor Day. It is a day designated to celebrate labor unions and American labor.
You might not know it from the way the American government treats its workers. You might not know it from the way that American politicians talk about labor unions. You might not know it at all, because you are probably aware how hobbled individuals are by 'Right To Work' and the debacle that is the American healthcare/insurance system.
But I guarantee you that there are real people working hard, some being ground to dust by their labor, some sustaining entire families or groups by their efforts. We don't even really need to compare and we don't need to draw lines between them. We know labor when we see it.
To them, to those whose efforts drive us forward through progress and struggle, we can raise a hearty salute.
To everyone living paycheck-to-paycheck. To everyone secure in their station. To everyone locked in bed by their own brain after 10 days straight of full shifts. To everyone who spends a greater share of their working hours raising money and not _actually_ working. To the beggars and the destitute. To the impostors. To the originators.
Your labor is valuable. Your efforts rest on the shoulders of all those who came before who wanted to build a better place for themselves and for all others: friend, family or stranger.
Our individual efforts, accelerated by the gravity of our interests, bring us forward. Our best moments and our best interests drive us towards goals both lofty and mundane. We trust our momentum and do what we can, every day.
Let's help each other stay motivated and work hard to reach our goals. We can encourage each other with positivity and righteous critique, being as honest as we can about our successes and failures.
This is labor.
“Now, we the American working population
Hate the fact that eight hours a day
Is wasted on chasing the dream of someone that isn’t us
And we may not hate our jobs
But we hate jobs in general
That don’t have to do with fighting our own causes
We the American working population
Hate the nine-to-five day-in day-out
When we’d rather be supporting ourselves
By being paid to perfect the pastimes
That we have harbored based solely on the fact
That it makes us smile if it sounds dope”