Keeping It Real

One Saturday afternoon, some three weeks ago, I needed to go across to my workplace to pick something up. It was a very hot afternoon. There were a few workmen around the precincts, cutting the grass. As I walked back from my desk into the hot afternoon the workers came by me in a row, presumably having completed their labours, at least in our location. Just walking out into the sun made me distinctly uncomfortable, already beginning to sweat, despite being lightly dressed and not doing anything at all strenuous.

I couldn't help but think how the grass-cutters might be feeling in their layers of protective clothing. Incredibly damp, clammy and uncomfortable I suppose - but they all contrived to look reasonably cheerful, though not one looked me in the eye. I'm guessing they felt themselves in some (awful) sense as being below me, somehow not worthy of notice. I also guessed then that these were incredibly tough guys - they'd need to be to cope with just an hour of their work.

I found myself thinking that the next time I felt unreasonably overworked I'd let them come back to mind. So I just have, and the effect is salutary, to put it mildly.