An Opinion: Heroes? Essential? Parkchester, What does It All Mean?

An Opinion: Heroes? Essential? Parkchester, What does It All Mean?

Some say common sense isn't so common anymore. I tend to agree.

Common sense says healthcare workers were always "essential," from the beginning of humankind and definitely long before our current situation, dealing with this COVID19 pandemic. I would say the same for persons in hospitals that do janitorial duties to keep hospitals as clean and sterilized as possible.

Calling "frontline workers" in hospital "heroes" is really propoganda to me. In a good kind of way, but still propoganda. Think about it...  It's obvious today, in context to healthcare workers, "frontline" means working in close and constant proximity to this deadly virus as these workers fight to cure and save lives of people sickened with this virus. And that is to be commended. But this is what doctors, nurses, etc do. It's their job, to many even a calling. And that's a beautiful thing. But are these doctors and nurses heroes? I wouldn't say so.

Firefighters and police killed trying to save lives when the World Trade buildings collasped were doing their jobs, too. And I commend and pray for all killed in their valiant efforts to save LIVES. But, I wouldn't call them befallen heroes.  A policeman's job is a dangerous, particularly in seriously high crime areas. A firefighter's job is dangerous. Prospective police officers & firefighters know this before accepting the job. Cops and firefighters killed in the line of duty aren't heroes.

Essential? Yes! Without these professionals we, as a society, would be truly f@#%ked.

For another example, teachers have had always been super "essential."(Yet these guys have had been traditionally and are still underpaid, relative to the earnings of others in just as essential occupations, at least here in states. And that's just according to my superficial understanding of that situation.) 

Selectively calling out who is a "hero/essential" and spotlighting those chosen in every other news segment and so many TV commercials aired these days is getting a bit ridiculous. But I understand. No doubt, a campaign built around these words can prove very effective empowering and galvanizing those in positions to take a stand and apply themselves to the best of their abilities during dire situations, such as this pandemic. Still, in my mind, folks that step up and do just that are essential, SUPER ESSENTIAL, in fact, and not "heroes."

Actually, all of us can be "essential" human beings if we so desire... And this applies long BEFORE this pandemic.

In my book, an "essential" person is those of us that try --- in a genuinely positive way ---to be the best person we can be and and manifest this via thoughts and actions every single additional day God may grant each and everyone of us. An "essential" person is simply someone that tries, to the best of their abilities, to be an positive asset to society, PERIOD, whether on the job or any other time, not just during a pandemic.

I wish it didn't take our current situation for the words "essential" and "heroes" to be so much in the spotlight.   

Stay safe, Parkchester. Stay safe, everybody, the world over.