Under our noses there is the constant humming of a sprawling workforce that keeps everything tied together.
We rarely take notice, much less express gratitude for these countless workers, on the backs of whom we owe our daily comforts and all the necessities we take for granted.
Men and women are out there right now hauling cargo, providing the food we eat, and focusing on the granular level to maintain our safety and health.
A recent Reddit thread acknowledged all of those people we could not live without.
mrmoocow303 asked, "What job is commonly forgot about but is essential for society?"
Keeping the Crap Away
"Sewage workers, all of them. I wouldn't want to return to the days it's all dumped in water ways." -- alimagrog
"I used to have a job cleaning out the sewer. I was down in the tunnel with the shovel, passing the bucket to the next guy, but I was always at the front because I won't take sh** from anyone" -- 01kicka**ius10
Constantly Moving
"Truck drivers. Supply chains are the life blood of every industry from grocery stores to battle fields." -- Corin711
"This one is becoming more and more relevant to me."
"As someone in the service industry, it's stupid the number of times guests complain that we don't have something we used to."
"Sorry no oysters today, if you didn't know, there is a global pandemic going on and the supply train is disrupted. We literally can't get them. It's not because we don't like you."
"It's because the people that farm the oysters, that process and pack the oysters, and most importantly, the men and women who physically drag the oysters from Canada or New York Maryland can't get here."
"I don't know if it's because they're sick, or caring for someone who is sick, but the supply chain is broken. Forget about west coast oysters, we struggle to get them in from 2 states away. It's the supply chain."
"Never thought I would be aware of how important these people are." -- mmemarlie
This is the Person You Trust
"I test the strength of metals and other materials used in things like planes, rockets, ships and subs, and so on."
"The average person gets on a plane or in a car and just trusts that the engine won't explode and the body won't fly apart, which is how it should be. There are people whose job it is to worry about that, which I'm a small part of."
-- X_PRSN
Keeping the Pile Low
"Waste maintenance. Trashmen. Holy hell watch that pile up if there's no one to take it away every week" -- BornInALighthouse
"Exact first thing I thought of."
"We leave a holiday card and a six pack out for our garbage man the last day they pick up before Christmas. He leaves us a card, too, but he gets the better end of the deal." -- Hardcore_EHS
Internet Maintenance
"The world as we know it would fall apart in so many ways if all of the essential people who maintain the internet all vanished. So much of banking, security, entertainment, food, etc. revolves around a functioning internet."
"It wouldn't be an apocalypse, but it would be an insane disruption to the world. Millions would die. Millions more wouldn't be able to browse Reddit. Catastrophe."
-- RedditYankee
Count Your Blessings
"People who create databases. My close friend created a very important database for a big hospital."
"He worked on it for years and it's really successful! He said he gets complements from other tech people, but not from 'regular' people."
"He mentioned he only hears about the bugs when something isn't working, and it's always along the lines of 'why isn't this working?! When can it work again?! This is ridiculous!!'"
"Like, chill the f*** out, HE BUILT THIS FROM NOTHING and it's helping save lives! Send him a f***ing gift card or something!"
-- dmurr2019
Guinea Pig
"I test food at the factory to make sure it's safe for people to eat." -- RockyDify
"I have a friend who's a safety inspector for the dairy industry. I'm very grateful for you guys!" -- alimagrog
"Reading about pre-FDA practices and food adulteration, gives me queasiness and a high level of respect for you." -- GenericEschatologist
Think of All the Boxes
"Box manufacturing. Hidden in plain sight" -- 2tired2makeAname
"Not to mention box assembly, that's usually done elsewhere." -- gurnard
"Pallets too. My hometown has a giant pallet factory and they are busy." -- Kulladar
Acknowledged, and Still Mistreated
"Well, if this pandemic taught us anything grocery store employees are pretty essential." -- ZeD00m
"No, we are forgotten again. Our heroic days are over and Karen is back to yelling at us" -- goatf***69
"'Expendable,' not 'essential.' Almost mandatory if you like eating or wiping your ass, but people will still treat them like shit and straight cough on them...and then bi*** that the grocery store worker was 'rude' for backing away from them." -- stryph42
Upkeep the Teeth
"Lots of people fantasize about being a gun-toting bada** when the apocalypse hits, but unless you know a good dentist, your life will soon become unbearable" -- AdvocateSaint
"My dentist says you'll know if you like a dentist within five minutes, you'll know if they're a good one in five years. It's been close to 20 so I think I'm good." -- Nagiom
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NBC News via Lisa Anderson