We’re knocking on the door to Thanksgiving Day — what are you thankful for?
I’m thankful for unseen heroes.
You touch a wall switch and the lights come on.
You turn on the tap and there is fresh water.
We never seem to see the people who actually make that happen.
I make it a point of thanking those who give me good service, but sometimes, it can cause unexpected concern.
When my children were small, I had new brakes put in my van before a vacation.
When I went to the service station to pick up my vehicle, I drove it around the block once to see how the brakes felt.
I then asked if I could speak with the mechanic who did the work.
“Is anything wrong?” they asked.
“No, it feels fine,” I replied. “Could I just speak to the mechanic, please?”
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They looked very doubtful. “If everything is OK, why do you want to speak with him?”
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There were other customers there, watching and listening and very curious.
Finally, they reluctantly brought the mechanic out.
He was wiping his hands with a greasy looking cloth and appeared like he was expecting to be chastised, when I said, quietly, “Thank you, for your good work in keeping my family safe.”
Turned out, no one had ever said that to him before.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations.
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