Thursday, August 28th, 2014 09:31:41

The Value of Work and Labor Day

My first paying job was cleaning the bathrooms at the First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Georgia, where I was a member. I was 14, the minimum age for “children” to work. This was neither glamorous nor exciting work, but useful and needed work. On Sundays I often over heard the “little old ladies” of the church commenting on the cleanliness of the bathroom. I remember my subsequent feeling of pride. While not a glamorous work, my actions were helpful and appreciated by those who used the facilities. For providing this useful service I earned minimum wage in 1981, ($3.35 per hour), based on the number of hours I worked. The money earned was spent on normal teenage items: clothes, movies and eating out.