Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moon light?

The sun-soaked afternoons quickly turn into brisk, moon-lit nights as winter sneaks up from behind on State College Town. I donned my parka and headed out to the library the other night, and as I approached the edge of campus, I noticed a middle-aged man leaning over the railing that prevented traffic from entering campus as the lights flashed from his van that rested ten feet away.

“How are you tonight?” I called out to him as I approached. Our campus locks down after 10 p.m. to divert traffic through the main entrance so the cars entering can be recorded by security.

“Fine, and how about yourself?” he replied friendly.

“Not too bad,” I retuned, shivering through the brisk wind that blew through the layers that become my companions when the mercury falls. I reached into my wallet and produced my student ID in order to proceed beyond his post. “I’m headed to the library to study, I suppose you will need documentation?”

He chuckled softy and shook his head. “No, they pay me just to make sure the bus comes through on time, but I appreciate you recognizing me as something more important.”

“Oh, very good then. Stay warm, and have a good night,” I offered as I passed him by.

I went on my way to cram for the next day’s exam in an effort to raise my GPA beyond its present level of mediocrity, but the encounter stayed with me. At first, I cursed the university for forcing such a pleasant fellow to brave the wintry weather we have been experiencing for such a menial task. I wondered aloud why it was necessary to allocate additional resources merely as a check on the unmotivated college students who captain the buses that transport drunk freshman from their dorms to the bars, but my momentary annoyance passed as I crossed the threshold into the warmth of our library.

But as I finished and began the walk back to my apartment, my mind returned to the genteel man I had encountered before. How remarkable of him to keep such high spirits despite his placement in our class system. There is not a day that goes by in which I fail to complain about my financial situation and the dread I have over facing a declining job market that awaits me following graduation. He works a forgotten position nightly, likely for a pittance, but he does it with a warm smile and a kind word. How many times was I ungrateful for his service as I huddled with strangers and waited for the bus three years ago? How quickly my frustration would have boiled over if I waited impatiently as my lips turned blue because of a tardy chariot.

The world is full of men and women like him, who man thankless posts, taking care of tasks I do not even consider or deem worthy of employment. It is truly remarkable considering my whole life has been a quest to earn an esteemed position in our society, and should I fail, the scorn and disappointment that would fall down upon me from family, friends and peers would be swift and unmerciful. And why are some positions more honored than others? Doctors save lives, lawyers keep the law and teachers educate the population, but where would we be without the people that lord over our conveniences? How, when and who deemed some employment more important than others, and why is there so much shame associated with the less esteemed ones? Are those that don hardhats and carry shovels less skilled, less important than the doctor or lawyer? Could the doctor or lawyer have achieved their titles without the bus checker ensuring they returned to their homes promptly in order to receive a good night’s rest? Why do we build up those men only to tear the others down for their “shortcomings?”

A job is just that; it is a way to collect a paycheck so you can provide for yourself and those that depend upon you. But often, a job title carries with it a significance, or an insignificance, that raises its profile and labels the individual that carries it. Dedication is necessary to carry out a task sufficiently, and pride is a prime motivator in ensuring success. But a person’s office number should not define their personality, and it should not help form your opinion of a person. An honest day’s work is often more important than sitting at a machine and plugging in numbers, and we should all remember that before we cast a disapproving eye at an undervalued member of the workforce.