‘Secret World of Garbagemen’ Shows the Work that Really Matters

What would happen if all trash collection stopped?" At The Atlantic, Heather Horn asks the question, while remembering the indispensable work of the people who take out the trash. Horn interviews anthropologist Robin Nagle, who recently published a book on New York's sanitation industry. Her facts and anecdotes are fascinating (example: sanitation workers have twice the fatality rates as police officers, seven that of firefighters) and a powerful reminder of the necessity of things that we take for granted. Like garbage trucks.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Some of the most essential roles in the world are the "invisible" ones. The lowly duty of "garbage collector" is a key, indispensable cog in how our society functions. In this, trash collectors are much like the many humble servants of his church, who labor without recognition to do the messy, forgettable, invisible jobs that keep everything together. The importance of the forgettable, common things cannot be understated. The invisible work of garbagemen is something to be grateful for.