04 Oct A Figurative Round of Applause for the Selfless

You know the high you get from attending a baseball game or conference, standing as one with thousands of others cheering a common cause? Then, after the day of intense excitement, animated discussions are had regarding the powerful speakers; the well-trained and talented pitcher; or the amazing food. The stars of the event are the ones in your exact line of sight, broadcast over large screens and resounding in your ears.

The rare occasion is when a person remarks, “Wow, that event was great – the dishwashers really went out of their way to clean the dishes and keep them sparkling.”

“Oh yes,” the other replies enthusiastically. “The maintenance men fixed the bathroom faucet in complete optimism, as the line out of the bathroom became mutinous and raucous. I admire their calm dedication!”

Wrong.

A typical conversation would follow the lines of, “Dude, can you believe the handsome CEO spoke about gaming in the workplace? Ahhh, such power coming from a place of humility. That guy is top notch.”

“Did you see that pitch at the bottom of the 7th? We’ll see replays of that in the coming weeks.”

We’re easily captivated beings that concentrate on the image at hand, literally right in front of our eyes. We compliment events and people that are announced in grand fashion, and then give a mandatory light applause to the general statement of ‘the people behind the scenes who helped make the event possible.” The truth is, though, that the light smattering of applause is for the  real heros who make hypothesis’ become realities. The unseen, the uncherished, hard-working individuals who strive and commit hours of unglamorous work. The real heroes. The epitome of selflessness behind the scenes.

The nurses behind the doctors. The caregivers behind closed doors. The event organizers behind the keynote speaker.

There are selfless heroes everywhere. Now let’s give them a round of applause.