Some Tardy Words...On Labor

I don't really do much to celebrate the holidays.  Christmas is mostly taken care of by the larger family, the people with the house and the money.  The same goes for Thanksgiving and Easter (if people remember when it is).  But then you have those in-between holidays, like Memorial Day, Independence Day (both American and Mexican, which, if you live in Chicago, can be celebrated vibrantly on Fullerton near Western), and Labor Day.  The latter holiday, while I rarely do anything for it, will always hold a special place in my heart.  You see, while I was not alive in 1776, while I didn't fight in any foreign wars, and while I am not Mexican (that I know of), I have spent some time in the Labor sector.  Now, don't take this to mean that I consider any of the work that I have done "labor", for I have taken great strides to avoid allowing management to get their money's worth out of me.  However, I have gotten to know plenty of people who have been or are now throwing their labor hours feverishly into the market, and have made their living in such a way.  Having been in this environment and soaked up the feelings held therein, and also having learned what I have about the pioneering labor advocates of the late 19th and early 20th century, I can say that every first Monday in September reminds me of just how this world keeps its gears going every day.

So I'd like to take this opportunity, on this platform, to say a hearty "thank you" to those who have fought and continue to fight so that workers get a little less of the shaft on a regular basis.  The AFL-CIO, the UAW, UBEW, and on, and on.  If it weren't for people getting angry and refusing to work until they could afford a meal or two as a result, I'd be searching for jobs that pay below the cost of living, thinking it was all I could do.  And the least I could do to celebrate those fiery men and women and their picketting and getting hosed down, is just remind everyone in the blogosphere that there is a reason they get to barbecue, see fireworks, and (if you live in Rockford) pay 15 dollars to pay even more money for fried chocolate rib cakes, and see washed-up bands play music that your parents may or may not have lost their virginity to.  As the ubiquitous bumper sticker states so proudly: "Unions: the People Who Brought You the Weekend".  

This morning, I forced my sleepy ass out on the road and pushed it to the limit.  Perhaps this was rather myopic, as I had spent the weekend cooking and devouring brownies and/or cookies.  However, I was quite happy with what I accomplished.  I went out hoping to beat my last distance, and just plow through with as little rest as possible.  This was not a real plan, so much as a series of hopes and a driving want to punish myself.  I figure if it worked for the Obama presidential campaign, it could work for me.  Well, it did, kind of.  I did just under 30 minutes, amassing 3 miles and only 4 minutes of rest.  I went down like this:

Ran 1.25 miles, Walked 0.75 miles, Ran 1 mile

The quest for Thursday: Run a full 5k distance, without one or no walk breaks.  I just might be able to do this, depending on how sore I end up feeling tonight.  But, as ever, onward....for the workers of the world!!