One afternoon I ran down to Tractor Supply to pick up some bird seed for my father-in-law and some paint brushes for me. As I waited in line, a young man went by pushing a cart with his young son in the cart nibbling candy. I spoke with the young man whose clothes, hands, and face were covered with black coal dust. I commented that momma would get after him for giving the boy candy at 5:30. We both laughed.
As mining has decreased, you see working miners less and less. After I spoke to the young miner, a flood of memories ran through me. I thought of my dad getting home with our one vehicle on a Friday evening then turning around and taking us to the Wise Piggly Wiggly so mom could shop before the store closed at 6:00 PM. After returning home to take care of the animals, we’d maybe cut some wood before finally taking a bath in an old metal washtub with water heated on the stove.
As I got to my car I sat for a moment. I was embarrassed by the things at work that I let get under my skin. The things that seemed so important and could frustrate me weren’t really that big of a deal. My thoughts of ego and achievement don’t matter in the big picture when it comes to bigger things.
Seeing a real working man (or woman) who puts their life on the line every day to take care of their family is humbling. And the slow health toil of dust on the lungs and body reminded me of my work blessings.
This weekend as you have time to unwind take a moment to put into perspective the “hardships and challenges” you face at work. And perhaps being at the bank and dealing with issues every day isn’t as bad as I (or you) make it out to be.
Perhaps those obstacles aren’t so big.
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“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.
