I Was Thinking... While We Slept

As I was crawling into bed one night, I heard the whistle of a train going through town. I realized that while I was about to go to sleep, someone was in charge of getting a huge load of materials to where it needed to go. When many of us were enjoying a good night’s sleep, others were at work.
During college, I had a summer job at a paper mill. Since it was a summer job, I had to fill in wherever there was a need. The day shift was from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the second shift from 3 to 11 p.m. and the night shift was from 11p.m. to 7 a.m. Just when you got used to one shift you got changed to a different one. While the late shift paid a little more, it was my least favorite. I never got used to going to sleep at about 8 a.m., waking up at about 3 p.m. and there wasn’t much you could do until you had to be back at work at 11p.m. But luckily it wasn’t for very long and it was still a good life experience.
Working a variety of different jobs during high school and college convinced me that there were certain things I did not want to do the rest of my life. But it also gave me a new appreciation for people that do work those less than desirable shifts. Most of those people that work the odd shifts are under appreciated, yet very essential.
Think of all the people that work overnight shifts. While I don’t really like to drive any more than necessary at night, our roadways are busy places every night as semis are covering mile after mile carrying all kinds of merchandise essential to our everyday lives.
Also, out patrolling our roads and streets are law enforcement officers there to protect and serve. It isn’t a 9 to 5 job. Of course, our hospitals and nursing homes don’t shut down when the sun goes down either. Those people are there to offer care to the most vulnerable.
If you do happen to drive at night, it is nice to know you can almost always find a place for gas if the tank gets low. There will probably also be a place where you can get something to eat. If you do run out of gas, get a flat tire, or run into the ditch, help is usually just a phone call away because some tow truck driver is on the night shift.
While we haven’t seen much of it so far this year, we know we will probably still get more snow. In Minnesota, when it snows, we still expect to get to work. That is because a whole fleet of snowplow drivers are up in the middle of the night clearing highways and city streets. There are also many private companies that are up early removing snow from parking lots for churches, shopping malls, and schools.
When I open my refrigerator, I always know there will be a steady supply of food to fill it. I can buy milk and groceries at various locations because somebody was up before the sun, milking cows or pulling into a store with a new load of produce. Even when I go to my favorite bakery (Otto’s in Byron), I know that while I was still in bed, Otto was already putting donuts into the ovens.
So, the next time you are ready to retire for the evening, remember there are a lot of others just going to work.
Did You Ever Wonder? — Is a sleeping bag a nap sack?