Late nights in the Torch office can be quite lonesome.
Sometimes, I’ll be in the office past midnight. After staring at the same monitor for so long, I get delirious.
This is when I’ll take a walk, a quick stroll through the Starr building to refresh myself.
My gander through the mostly empty building can be quite isolating. That’s until I run into one of the janitors.
This is a complete reset for me. It’s midnight, and I’ve been making small edits to this newspaper for hours. After hours in an empty office, talking to myself, I can converse with a real human being.
These late nights have allowed me to get to know some custodial staff. They’ll always greet me or make a joke at the expense of my long workday. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the conversations I’ve had with them.
Starr usually has two janitors that I’ll run into. One of which is Marlin. He’s the one my staff and I know and love to talk to.
Any time he comes in to collect our office’s trash, we always strike up a conversation. He’s an excellent guy who seemingly doesn’t mind chatting with us.
It’s not exactly a secret that custodial work isn’t glamorous. They’re often night workers who prepare and clean the building for the next day. They’re overlooked. Out of sight and out of mind for the general public. Despite this, they’re super crucial.
We’d be walking through garbage without them. Our surroundings would look awful. They’re unsung heroes, truthfully.
With the non-glamorous idea in mind, I asked Marlin why he does what he does. I was curious. I wanted to know what drives someone to do this often unrecognized work.
His answer spoke volumes to me. He emphasized the low-key type of job. He doesn’t have a manager over his shoulder. He does the work in peace. It’s stress-free.
One thing stuck out to me. Marlin went on to say that when he dies, it’ll have been from the food he ate and his smoking. But it wouldn’t be from stress.
That resonated deeply. I think it should hit home with anyone.
Last week, I wrote about being a graduating college senior looking for a job. It’s been a constant battle to get an internship. When it comes to employment, I’ve always kept one idea close to me: If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I’ve been lucky to have the jobs I’ve had. But I’ve worked some dreadful ones too. My life is better with the ones that don’t make me feel like a walking corpse.
Hearing about stress reminded me of what I need to be aiming for. It reminded me of the idea. It’s what I needed to hear.
Now, maybe it’s what you need to hear, too. Obviously, no one wants to hate what they do. But more often than not, we end up in jobs we hate. I don’t think that stressful jobs pay their dividends at the end of the day. If you hate it, why do it?
When I die, I hope to hold the same idea. It’ll be what I liked to do that contributed to my downfall. I don’t want it to be what I hate.
I’ve never really thought of it like that. But I think it’s the best piece of advice I’ve gotten, and I have Marlin to thank for it.
So, strike up a conversation with a janitor if you ever see one. Get to know them. When they give you life-altering advice, thank them for it. After that, thank them for what they do, too.