I was lucky that I got to watch it be built brick by brick, bulldozer scoop by bulldozer scoop. 

Our apartment overlooked the whole park, which gave me the perfect vantage point. I’ll admit that I was a little jealous of the workers because at the time I was working in corporate life where it wasn’t always easy to see the immediate results of your work! I longed to stand alongside the groups of workers that gathered every morning in a circle to be told their jobs for the day by the supervisor. I used to marvel as I would see their tremendous progress at the end of each day as the sculpture park began to take shape with its winding paths, slopes, greenhouses, dramatic buildings and bridges. 

The closest I ever got to similar work was when we had just bought our first home in England and we decided to design and build our own outdoor patio and garden. From mixing cement to building walls, laying gravel and building flower beds the work was all ours. It was so satisfying to see the final result. (Though luckily back gardens in England are pretty small!)

Today is Labor Day in the US. A day where, since the 1800s, the contributions and achievements of American workers are celebrated. Usually with family and friends gathering with trips to the beach, pool, and parks. 

Whichever part of the world you are reading this, take a moment to appreciate, and thank the contributions of those workers around you. 

Jim Annes, VP Digital Operations at Ingram Micro published a brilliant piece yesterday about Labor Day and what it means to him. I loved his ideas particularly this part..

So what I propose is this. On Labor Day, set aside some of your time to do some labor. And then set aside extra time to make a few additional trips to Lowes or Home Depot as you make mistakes. Measure something twice and cut it once. Use a lumber crayon and square. Get dirty, frustrated and embrace the feeling of determination as you refuse to stop until you have done it right.

It may give you an appreciation for what labor is. It may make you think twice about the who and how of the next purchase you make. Pass out some cold bottles of water or cups of coffee and say thanks to the team fixing a powerline, busted main or building your retaining wall. Because a lot of work that benefits us all is being done by very few. 

My daughters spent their whole Sunday afternoon and evening building their new desks, chairs, and bedroom furniture. They now know the different types of screwdrivers, the value of carefully reading instructions to save having to start again!, and that manual work is hard work!

How are you sharing what Labor Day means to you? 

Fascinating News Roundup

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

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