Thank you for your service (everyone else)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Here and elsewhere, I am seeing an increasing number of people whose first reaction upon hearing someone is in the military is to thank them for their service. Good for them, I guess, but I’m always a bit troubled by it. Never mind; my issue.

This thread is to thank everybody else for their service: those people who dedicate their careers and / or a major portion of their lives to making the world a better place, whether by their government job, volunteering, or some other socially responsible endeavor. Just because you don’t risk your life at times doesn’t mean your service is less important. So, to people who could earn more in the private sector but choose not to; to teachers and librarians and civil engineers; to the politicians who are working for their constituents and not just toward their re-elections; to those journalists who are still doing solid investigative reporting; to all those who do a lot more good than harm, thank you. Especially to the people who staff polling places during elections.

Who else have I forgotten?

You know who you are. You make your country and the world a better place, and I appreciate it lot. Thank you.

2

I would like to thank the tiny minority of people who move into the right lane when a faster car is approaching behind them.

3

I would like to thank the police officers who entered the job out of a genuine desire to make their communities safer and fight crime. Also, what Reticulating said (though I sometimes feel like he and I might be talking amongst ourselves.)

4

I’ll thank the firefighters. These guys run IN to burning buildings. They’re often underpaid, or unpaid. They are so obviously heroes, yet only get the recognition they deserve when they die on the job.

5

I’ll thank the Coast Guard. They do a great job with missions ranging from drunk weekend boaters to hair-raising rescues to drug interdiction, and without the usual accolades directed towards the combat armed services.

6

Well, they get a lot of ass.

ETA: firefighters, that is.

7

I want to thank all the female animals (and a few males) who act responsibly and take care of their offspring until they can survive on their own.

And some of these are human.

8

And those who “make it easier to join traffic” by moving into available left lanes.

There are people who seem to use any power they find to do ill, others who do their best to be helpful. I’d like to thank the second group.

9

I would like to thank the muggers and pickpockets who can read my eyes when I look at them to mean “I’m about to draw my knife really fast and it’s sharp enough to split a hair strand --twice.”

10

I like to thank anyone who does a relatively dangerous job with little recognition. I don’t get the chance to do it very often, but if I see a military service person, a firefighter, a police officer, an EMT, or paramedic at a coffee or fast food place I’ll pay for their order if they are right in front of me or right behind me. Over the years I’ve been able to do it close to a dozen times, mostly at Starbucks.