Underground

Their voices travel higher and farther than all others, but they can't be heard. Their shadows eclipse the sun, but they can't be seen. To select just one would be unfair to all the others. A single parent who works two jobs to provide the best possible life for their child, also provides inspiration to everyone. Any person who improves their own situation without impeding the efforts of others sets a grand example for those fortunate enough to be around them. In my life, there is no great hero. Instead, my life has been filled with hundreds of people who I would consider heroic.

The unknown and unsung have shaped my world. It's the people who work and sacrifice day in and day out. And they're everywhere. Whether they're cooking on a submarine, hundreds of meters below the surface of the Atlantic, or repairing a satellite in the vastness of space, there are no obstacles that they can't overcome. They come in all different shapes and sizes.

I worked with a woman in New York; her name was Cindy. Cindy was a single mom in her mid-twenties. We were toll collectors. When she wasn't working at the tolls, she was working one of her other two jobs. Her daughter was the light of her life, and probably still is to this day. Anytime I saw Cindy, her face was heavy. Though she smiled and laughed continuously, she was tired. She never wanted anyone to know how hard her life was. She spent every waking second worrying about her daughter and never had time for herself or relationships.

A few years ago, on Christmas eve, I arrived late to work only to find Cindy outside, smoking a cigarette, and quietly sobbing. “What’s wrong,” I asked her. She told me that she had never been away from her daughter on any holiday. She was scheduled to be at work at 8 A.M. on Christmas morning. Her daughter would be spending Christmas morning with Cindy’s parents. Cindy wasn’t a girl to complain. In fact, I don’t think I ever heard her complain about anything, not even her ex-husband, who had emptied her accounts and ran off to Boston with another woman. It is difficult for me to be emotional, but I nearly lost when Cindy poured her heart out to me. I told Cindy that I would work her shift so that she could spend Christmas with her daughter.

I worked that Christmas without regret. I spent the day talking to the patrons and watching them drive off to their assorted jobs. With everyone who passed through my lane that day, I couldn’t help but wonder about their families. I could see the sadness in their eyes. These people are the ones that I consider my heroes. I’ve met people in many different states and it’s always the people who are making sacrifices for the good of their loved ones, who I truly respect and consider heroes.