The idea of the forgotten people came about in late 2004. We were heading into an election. We were (and still are) at war with terror. But life in Middle America was pretty much the same. Work, home, church - all went on as usual.

There was a news story earlier that year about a courageous young man named Pat Tillman. He turned down a $3.6 million football contract to go fight in Afghanistan. Tragically, he died in combat on April 22, 2004. He was an American hero, no doubt about it.

Anyway, he was the topic of a discussion that I was having with a co-worker in late 2004. My co-worker was lauding Pat Tillman and the sacrifice he made to serve his country. While I didn't disagree with the idea that he was a hero, I asked my co-worker why Pat Tillman's sacrifice was any greater than someone who walked away from a job at McDonald's or Wal-Mart and then died in combat. This got me ranting...I'll try to remember a bit of it...

The forgotten people are those who live, work, and play without recognition. There's no fanfare when I pay my electric bill. There's no gang of photographers waiting to get a glimpse of me cutting my grass or grilling my steaks. CNN doesn't give a rip if my car breaks down.

We get lost in the shuffle. We are overlooked by the public at large and looked down upon by those in the lofty towers of media and academia. We don't ask for handouts. We don't have freakish antics the media would want to cover. We do our thing without a thank you. We just live our lives and go about our days.

The only time we get recognized is when we do something wrong.  If we mess up at work, we get recognized.  If we drive our cars too fast, we get recognized.  If we leave our socks on the floor, we get recognized.  I'd like to see more positive recognition for those of us who aren't "pretty" enough to make it to a magazine. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not espousing the idea that mediocrity should be rewarded - 20th/21st century America has done enough of that. We reward lethargy and we sympathize with the slothful. We tell our kids that it's okay to lose. There are children’s sports leagues that don't even keep score anymore. It's not about whether you win or lose but how you feel about yourself when you play the game.

But I think that the guy who drives the truck across the country to make sure that California has its bean sprouts should be recognized. The police officer, the fire fighter, the teacher - God bless the teachers -, the metal worker, the meat packer, the secretary, the garbage man, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker....you get the point. These people deserve a little recognition every once in awhile.

Next time you go to a fast food restaurant, SEEK OUT the Employee of the Month and tell them good job. If you get good service at a restaurant, leave a big fat tip with a note saying THANKS! Buy a police officer a cup of coffee. Donate to your fire fighters charity. America, we've got HUGE hearts and need to start telling those who provide a good service with pride that we appreciate them.

Not that the movie was all that good, but paying something forward rather than paying it back is a marvelous idea. America, let’s be good to each other – there are already enough people out there who hate us.

Don’t like it? You’ve got that right...

Doug

"Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering." – St. Augustine