I worked a cube job for a cell phone company. I was in the billing department. When you get your cell phone bill, and all of the numbers line up neatly in little columns... that's what I did.
I have to say there were times when I felt meaningless, as though what I was doing had no purpose.
I was working late one night when the janitor came by to get my trash. "Something must be important," he said.
"Is it?" I asked sarcastically.
He looked at me earnestly. "Think about cell phones. Think of all the people right now getting emergency roadside help. Think of the parents who can stay in touch with their kids. Think of how we're able to stay in touch with loved ones. The work you do is very important."
It was so sincere and heartfelt that I wanted to punch him in the throat.
It was only later that I thought about how right he was. Just by showing up every day - day after day - each of us makes something in the world run a little smoother. That something is important to someone.
Cal Ripken did it every day.
Here's the story of someone else who makes the world run smoother.
Colonel Abdul Fatah is just one of these people. He runs the passport office in Kabul. Despite the lack of any computers, and despite being in a position which should be ripe for bribery and corruption, he's a model of efficiency and honesty.
When you watch him work, it looks as though all he's doing is applying a rubber stamp.
It doesn't look very inspiring, but it is. The work that all of us do is. We may feel like it's meaningless. We may not be in a dangerous part of the world the way Colonel Fatah is. But the world is a little better for someone, just because you showed up and did your job.
