Ode to the Construction Worker

So I work in a construction zone. My building is literally surrounded by new dorms going up.There is mud and dirt everywhere. My car is constantly gross. My shoes are constantly gross. The carpet in my office is constantly gross.

And yet the buildings keep going up. There are four dorms going up right now by my count. I thought they would only do two, but out of nowhere two more popped up out of the ground like daisies.

I work in what used to be a cafeteria. Well, the actual cafeteria part is still a cafeteria, the rest of it was re-purposed into an office. It works. There are industrial grates up everywhere that hold the wires up to the ceiling. I kind of like it. But I take my lunches in the cafeteria (we euphemistically call it "the atrium"). There is great natural light and I get to sit in a booth by the window. I get lunch and a show as I watch the workers build these massive dorms.

Over the past few months I've been so impressed by these men (I have not seen any women as of yet, so I'll stick with masculine pronouns and referents). They come to work every day. Come rain, come shine. Come snow, come freezing. And those buildings keep going up. Today it was sleeting and they were still out there working. Granted, their numbers were few, but still, they were out there in their boots and jeans, sloshing around in the mud. I'm sure they were cold and miserable. I'm sure some of them hated their job at that moment. But they were there.

And they're always nice to me when we're standing in line at the Creamery. So here's a thank you to those workers. I'm glad that I've been able to observe a different world and learn to really respect some unsung heroes.