Labor Day has come and gone, marking the end of the summer with that American national holiday to which many of us may not have given a lot of thought. Memorial Day and July 4th seem easier to understand, as they deal with veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom and independence from England. “Labor” Day sometimes seems as if it only has one duty perform—to provide a threshold from the easy living of summertime into the busy labor of fall.
We encourage everyone to think of Labor Day, and this threshold time of year for our resort towns, as an opportunity to offer respect and gratitude for workers of all stripes. Every worker, no matter what their responsibilities may be, makes a sacrifice of time, effort, thought, and care to serve others well. We have learned this firsthand in the last year or two. The pandemic has thrown into stark relief the absolutely crucial nature of every kind of work—from epidemiologist to production line worker; ICU nurse to grocery store checkout clerk; daycare provider to truck driver; restaurant server to teacher. The lesson for us all is that no work is unimportant. All work—no matter how we may misperceive it as “mundane” or “vital”—flows into a vast web of service-oriented relationships that touches us all, enriching our lives and making them not only bearable, but beautiful. Like anything in life, if we take our own work, and that of other workers for granted, something very wonderful is forfeited. It’s all necessary and noble.
So, this Friday night, after sundown, we invite you to gather your families and come out to see the big fireworks show over Lake Kalamazoo that the Rotary Club is coordinating. We also invite you to see them in a new light. We are funding the show to honor all first responders and frontline workers, and everyone who tries hard to serve others well. We all know how important July 4th is to celebrate our independence. At this time of year, and hopefully every year from now on, Rotary hopes we can all come together under the same sparkling sky and celebrate our interdependence.
A special thank you to all three municipalities, our police and fire agencies, Night Magic Pyrotechnics, and Mike Johnson of Coral Gables who worked together with the Rotary Club to provide you all with the fireworks. Friday nigh, September 10th, when it gets dark (around 8:30 p.m. or so).
