Monday Morning

It’s Monday morning, day 14 of lockdown. So, looking around I see that my house is totally neat and organized, my bed is made, my bathroom is clean, my patio is swept, my weeds are pulled, my tools are organized and dang it, I’ve just about run out of things to do. All I have left is to empty the trash, and then what am I gonna do? Stupid Coronavirus!

Where we live, garbage pickup service happens every Monday Morning. This Monday morning, just like clockwork, I noticed the garbage truck coming down our street right on time at 7:30am. Except this time his truck was the only truck around. And there were no other vehicles, or people for that matter. Just an eerie early morning calm, broken up only by the sound of the beeping trash truck in action.

And that got me thinking… As difficult as things are, there are things to be appreciated. God bless those people who are still working because their jobs are essential. That includes doctors, nurses, policemen, firemen… and you guessed it… garbage men!

I’m a garbageman. I can’t work from home, but my job is an essential city service that must get done. 

It’s a tough job, from getting up pre-dawn to the physical toll it takes on my body to the monotonous 

nature of the job. At times it’s hard to keep on going. Right now though, right now I am feeling an 

extra sense of pride and purpose as I do my work. I see the people, my people, the people of my city, 

peeking out their windows at me. They’re scared, we’re scared. Scared but resilient. Us garbagemen 

are gonna keep collecting the garbage, doctors and nurses are gonna keep doctoring and nurse-ering. 

It’s gonna be ok, we’re gonna make it be ok. I love my city. I love my country. I love my planet Earth. 

Be good to each other and we’ll get through this.

                                                                              ~ Jester D, Garbageman, Planet Earth