Labor.
Whether it’s defined as a noun …
“Productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.” Or, “the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.”
Or a verb …
“To perform labor; exert one's powers of body or mind; work; toil.” Or, “to strive, as toward a goal; work hard.”
… it signifies the physical and/or mental effort to do a job.
On Monday, Americans will celebrate Labor Day, a holiday set aside for those of us who work for a living. It’s a day to honor laborers who toil at a desk, out in the field, in the home or any one of a number of other places.
That, my friends, is most of us.
Officially, Labor Day is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions workers have made to the development, growth, endurance, strength, security, prosperity, productivity, laws, sustainability, persistence, structure and well-being of the country.
The day came about in the late 19th century as the trade union and labor movements grew. Unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. It became a federal holiday in 1894.
Over the centuries, America has been built on the backs of we men and women who have worked at this job or that. Most of us live from paycheck to paycheck.
But whether we work in a factory, classroom, retail outlet or nonprofit and whether we have a skilled trade, are general laborers, serve our country in the Armed Forces or work in any one of the millions of jobs out there, Labor Day is for us.
It matters not if we’re butchers, bakers or candlestick makers. It matters not if we teach, preach, or lifeguard at the beach. It matters not if we mop, are a cop or serve soda pop.
We are the labor.
Soccer great Pele said, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
How true, indeed.
And here’s what some others have said.
Steve Jobs: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
Vince Lombardi: “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
Colin Powell: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work.”
Sophocles: “Without labor nothing prospers.”
John D. Rockefeller: “I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.”
And Prabhu Deva: “If you work hard, nothing is impossible.”
I’ve always admired people who work hard and have a strong work ethic. My late father, who spent more than three decades in the steel mills in Northwest Indiana, was known as a man who would give 100 percent 100 percent of the time. During his retirement party, one of his bosses said everyone there knew if they wanted something done correctly the first time, they’d have Domke do it.
I’m proud of my dad’s work ethic, and I’ve followed in his footsteps. I try to work my hardest and give it my all every day.
No matter what line of work we’re in, no matter how big or small our paycheck, no matter whether we’ve been working for 40 years or 40 hours, we all have jobs to do.
And here’s to all of us who work hard at the task at hand.
We’re all part of the American dream. And if we do give it our all, we should hold our heads high at the end of every day. If we have that true and dedicated work ethic that helped build this country – and continue to build it – we should be proud of what we do and accomplish.
We’re the American workforce. We’re the meat and potatoes of this country. We carry the mail. We grow the economy. And we even write all the news that’s fit to print.
So here’s to Labor Day. And here’s to the labor force.
Unofficially, the summer will be over on Tuesday and we’re not supposed to wear white anymore until late spring.
But, come Tuesday – and even still this weekend or Monday for many – the work continues.
Labor goes on as the days go on.
Again, here’s to us – those who work. Happy Labor Day.
And as always, thanks for reading.
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