Having just finished a conversation with one of my staff of specialists, the idea came to me to write and dedicate an article to the many unsung heroes that are serving in low profile positions that are so necessary to our corporate well being.  I truly appreciate the very competent and professional people that the Good Lord has assigned to me.  The contributions of these individuals to my assignment as a columnist and writer is truly valuable, especially considering how busy I have become with the wearing of many hats of responsibility on a local, national, and even international level. Without the aid of people like Se’Lisa Scott and Belinda Cain, it is very doubtful that I would be able to achieve any degree of success in the field of writing.  People like these, who are serving behind the scene in not only low profile positions, but are also in low or no salary positions, are the key to why the engine of many of our very necessary institutions and establishments continue to function.  It is almost impossible for me to include all the names of the unsung heroes in this very limited column.  However, I will cite a few of the places where they are working or serving that are so important to all of us.  Without their contributions that we often overlook or take for granted, all of our lives would indeed be a whole lot more difficult and challenging.

Culinary Champions
Having served in the Army for a while, I got to know the importance of having good cooks and food.  This is especially true when you are out in the field.  One of the beliefs of our military strategists is that an army or soldier who is properly fed will fight and perform much better than those who are deprived or denied in this area.  Using this as an example, I want to commend and celebrate those who work laboriously in the kitchens of our hospitals and schools to assure patients, students, and other personnel are properly fed.  When I was attending school at Gordon Elementary and High Schools respectively, I really enjoyed the delicious and scrumptious meals that the cooks in the cafeteria prepared.  I distinctly remember Mrs. Barnes, Mrs. Green, Mrs. Crosland, and a few others who I will not mention here.  Oh, how those ladies could cook!  Right here I want to cite and commend Mrs. Mabel Wilson Johnson, who has worked faithfully in the culinary department of District III for many years.  She is presently undergoing some physical challenges and our prayers are definitely with her and her husband, Willie.  She embodies the many people, past and present, who have served us over the years to satisfy both our palates and bellies.  I salute all of these unsung heroes.

Fire Departments
and EMS Workers
The next areas of unsung heroes who are seldom celebrated are those who work for our local fire departments and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Agencies.  These people who serve in such a critical position, that often involve life and death, are true heroes.  Their worth is regrettably overlooked until there is an emergency or accident that requires their service and expertise.  If you have ever been the victim of a fire, like I have, then you truly respect and appreciate those who work for the fire department who often jeopardize their own lives to rescue and save others.  I have been present on a few occasions when EMS personnel arrived and performed some very valuable techniques and services that helped to preserve or sustain people’s lives that would have otherwise been lost.   I know that I am speaking for a host of others when I say, thank you to all of the people who serve in either fire department or EMS services.  Your labor and sacrifices to us have not gone unnoticed, unappreciated, nor are in vain.  There are many of us out here who truly value you and appreciate your service.

School Bus Drivers
and Truckers
When I thought of this category of unsung heroes whose job is to transport some of the most cherished people and necessary commodities that we as parents and consumers often take for granted.  I tried to think of an appropriate name that would tie these two distinct professions together.  Unable to come up with one I settled for “school bus drivers and truckers.”  Due to the nature of what each of these transport professionals are carrying, they are extremely important to all of our well being.  Where would we be without the likes of Mrs. Linda Hanna, who just happens to be a classmate of mine, who has done an excellent and outstanding job for many years in coordinating and assuring that we have competent and cautious drivers transporting our children to and from school?  Special thanks to you, Linda, and your team of drivers who are doing such a commendable job for wages that are unrepresentative of the services that you are rendering.
In regards to the truckers who carry the vast majority of the goods and commodities to places like supermarkets, Wal-Mart, drug stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and nearly every business establishment that we shop, eat, or transact business, we salute you and appreciate your valuable service.  Without you, the stores would be empty, the eateries would have no food to cook, there would be no gas for our cars, and our lives would be quite difficult and hard-pressed.

Law Enforcement and
Health Care Providers
The next categories that we want to recognize and appreciate are law enforcement and health care providers.  Due to the recent incident in Ferguson, Missouri that claimed the life of Michael Brown, as well as some others involving police brutality and the use of excessive and oftentimes deadly force disproportionately and unjustifiably against people of color, especially young men who are black, the various agencies of law enforcement have come under public criticism and scrutiny.  Although this, in my estimation, is necessary to weed out the few who are unfit for law enforcement due to their biases and lack of self-control.  The majority of people who work in law enforcement are getting a bad rap and negative public relations because of these bad apples.  For the most part, these officers are underrated, underpaid, and underappreciated.  They are unsung heroes who often have to put their lives on the line to protect us from criminals who violate the law and the rights of others.
Another category of unsung heroes who are seldom celebrated is those who work in the health care profession.  From the general practitioners, to the specialist, to the nurses, to those who work in hospice, and the full scope of all who are involved in the health care profession, we highly regard and revere you.  Although we do not often tell you or express in some way how valuable you are to us, it does not mean that we do not appreciate what you do.  Perhaps some are in this profession mostly for profit.  I am persuaded that most see it as a divine calling and chance to serve their fellow man in a most needed way.  Thank you (doctors) for not being hypocritical concerning the Hippocratic Oath you took when you entered your medical practice and you, nurses, who took the Nightingale Pledge in like fashion.

Teachers and Preachers
I deliberately saved these categories for last due to the fact that I have both a wife and a daughter who serve in the field of education.  My wife is a principal and my daughter is a teacher.  I am well aware of the time and effort that goes into this profession that is often underappreciated, underrated, and underpaid like most of the others that we have considered.  However, without the presence and services of these unsung heroes who wage war in the classrooms of our schools for the cultivation of our children’s minds, there would be no doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and competent professionals in any area.  Since education is so vital to our culture and nation’s ability to compete with the rest of the world, those who are given the awesome responsibility to challenge, cultivate, and stimulate the minds and intellect of our children must be held in high esteem.  They are so necessary, so they must be celebrated as heroes and heroines. This last category of unsung heroes, which I will spend the least time considering,  is the one that I am most familiar with and have served in for nearly forty years.  In God’s estimation, it is the most important profession because it deals with things that are both temporal and eternal. Perhaps no other person who is there to serve is called upon as much as we are.  We are there to share Christ with you through our preaching and teaching.  We are there when you are sick and shut-in.  We are there to give counsel and advice when you need us.  We are there when your babies are born and dedicated.  We are there to console and comfort you when you have just lost a loved one.  We are there to perform your wedding when it is time to get married.  Perhaps, no one else is as good at multitasking as we are.  We often pretend like we do not need anyone to celebrate and honor us, but God.  However, that is not really the case.  Although we try to play tough, we are very much human and appreciate getting encouragement like everyone else.
Maybe I have failed to include and consider your area of service to others, but the ones you are serving know how important you are to them.  So do not stop serving for there is someone who is keeping a record and He will not forget your labor of love.  Your payday is coming after awhile…