The people taking the bus at 6:00 AM in the morning on a weekday are legends. Shoutout to the early risers. The ones with a long public transit commute ahead of them. The ones with an ungodly start time to their work day. Or perhaps the ones returning from an arduous graveyard shift. And then there’s me: taking an early BART train to the airport because I had an 8:00 AM flight to Las Vegas for vacation. It is an humbling sight.
Beneath the glitz and money of the Vegas strip is an entire cottage industry that feeds off of it. The cleaning staff who keeps the hotels and Las Vegas boulevard spotless at all times. The solicitors on the strip hoping to make some money off the multitudes of tourists. The workers of all the restaurants and shops, catering to the whims of customers. There are no bathroom breaks when the line at the hotel Starbucks is stretched out into the casino floor the entire morning.
Throughout my time in Vegas last week I was filled with gratitude at how fortunate I am to not be one of the folks described above. I’m so lucky to have a job where I get paid for what’s in my brain than actual, physical labor. A steady 9-5, Monday through Friday job that I don’t have to think about outside of those work hours. A job that allows me to take paid vacation pretty much any time throughout the year, so long as I give proper notice.
What this recent vacation have reinforced in me is to be incredibly grateful at what I already have. There’s always plenty more to chase, sure, but so many have far less. Thank you for the much needed perspective, Las Vegas.
Nike would agree.