The Invisibles Make the World Go Round

Who else has observed the extent by which we depend on invisible people to maintain our way of life, or indeed, our lives?

Who would previously have thought of the grocery store clerks, stock persons, truck drivers, delivery bike drivers, restaurant cooks, etc. as essential elements of our society?

Previously, how much thought did we give to the farmers, farm workers, the food processors, truck drivers, gas station attendants, etc., all of which produce and help deliver the food that we have always taken for granted but which in the last two weeks (and coming months) can longer do so?

And the list goes on. Healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, orderlies, ambulance drivers), police and firefighters are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis. Teachers and day care professionals who are largely responsible for raising the kids of white collar professionals. Garbage collection, heck, even the supers in every apartment in cities like NYC, are essential.

The Invisibles are national heroes.

And what do The Invisibles have in common, other than being largely invisible?

With the exception of physicians, all of these people have jobs that are at the low end of the pay scale, many subsisting on minimum wage without health care benefits, matching 401Ks, 5 weeks vacation per year, etc. They certainly are not the ones that have benefitted from tax cuts, bailouts, or stock buybacks.

We are seeing, firsthand, what the emasculation of our health and social services funding looks like. It’s unconscionable that what is billed as “the richest country in the world” cannot produce sufficient COVID-19 tests, respirators, hospital beds to deal with the current crisis. 

It’s also unconscionable that so many people vote for the candidate promising lowest taxes while opposing minimum wage hikes and other things (e.g. health care and day care) for The Invisibles.

What can we do in the short term? Saying “Thank-you” to the garbage man and the grocery store clerk is a start. If you have some extra bills in your pocket because you’re not eating out as frequently, why not spread some of it around? I tipped our grocery clerk $50 the other day and she nearly cried. She is there, on her feet all day, while her kids are home from school and her family is self-isolating. She risks exposure for minimum wage because she has to do so.

But most importantly, once this crisis is over, do not let out of sight be out of mind. Remember it was The Invisibles who got all of us through, so when the discussion comes up about a national living wage, support it. Make day care and health care priorities. You get it.

When we next vote, let’s think beyond ourselves and our tax rates for once and recognize that The Invisibles are essential for our society to survive and indeed to thrive.