In my first Labor Day post, way back in 2007, "I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night," and he told me to take the day off. Well, damned if Joe didn't appear again to give me the same guidance for 2020.
Last year I was more energetic. For an update on that post, my brother Rick retired this winter. A big old retirement party for him, honoring his decades of dedication to the labor movement, was held at Boston's IBEW Hall on March 5th. Which was good timing, given that, the next week, things pretty much started shutting down. It was a wonderful event, and it was great to hear all the tributes to him - especially from the younger women he had mentored over the years.
With everything going on, thinking about this holiday - like everything else - seems a lot more laborious this year. One of the hallmarks of the pandemic sure is that it's been nothing if not enervating, and this Labor Day, which spells the end of summer and the coming darkness and more-than-likely resurgence of COVID, I just want to take a nap.
So other than to issue a shout out to all those who labor at real work - essential or not, working or collecting, under the table or fully legit - and wishing them a happy Labor Day, that's pretty much all I have to say for 2020.
Here's to next year!
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