While reading Jeremy Zawodny’s blog entry on “When to go on vacation?” I was reminded of a story I heard ealier this year during basketball season. I was in the locker room with some other officials and one of them was encountering some health difficulties. One of the other officials was encouraging him to turn back in a few games and get his health back in order. To drive the point home, he shared the following story.

A friend of his worked at the train yard. He often put in 70–80 hours a week making sure that the trains ran on time. Literally. That is, until he contracted a disease and was hospitalized for several months.

Upon his return to work he shared the following with his co-workers:

You know what I learned while I was gone? I really thought that this place wouldn’t be able to operate without me here, but the trains kept on runnin’.

He went on to say that from now on he was only putting in his 40 hours a week and was going to spend the rest of the time doing things that were much more important than work.

Work is something that most of us have to do in one form or another. It can be rewarding, stressful, fun, or a pain. But it’s just work. It’s not what is important in life. We should all remember that in addition to humbling ourselves with regard to the jobs that we perform. Because, no matter how critical we may think that we are to the process, the trains will keep on runnin’.

Filed under: Personal

2 Responses to “The trains keep runnin’”

1. Amy Says:
   July 18th, 2005 at 2:41 pm

   Yes indeed they do keep running. It’s also nice to find work that is fulfilling to make it more worthwhile. But we as humans are endlessly replaceable in the work arena, but not at all in the personal areana.

2. Care Says:
   July 19th, 2005 at 11:07 am

   Great thoughts! You know I needed to see this. Love ya, babe -