Garbage man asks if he should be ashamed of his job — and is flooded with love

Many jobs in our society are unfairly looked down upon, even though they’re essential to keeping our communities clean and functioning. Garbage collectors and community service workers play a crucial role in any area, yet they often don’t receive the respect they deserve. One such worker, Reddit user u/TheFrogsMightbegay, shared his story online, questioning whether he should feel embarrassed about his occupation.

The 24-year-old man shared his story on the post, revealing that he never went to college and instead started focusing on getting a job. "I went to truck driving school & got my CDL. I’ve been a garbage man for the past 2 years and I feel a sense of embarrassment doing it. It’s a solid job, great benefits and I currently make $24 an hour. I could see myself doing this job for a long time," the post read. However, every time someone asks about what he does for a living, he feels embarrassed to talk about his job as a garbage collector. Lately, he has been wondering if he should feel this way about his occupation or not.

Soon, the Reddit community came together to show their support for him, reminding the man that he should take pride in any honest job he is doing to make an income. The man later made an edit to his post, thanking all the netizens for their outpouring of support and giving him a different outlook on how he should feel about his job. Some commentators thanked him for his contribution to society and for keeping his area clean and others shared their personal stories that had similarities with his life.

u/bahahahahahhhaha wrote, "That's a completely important and respectable job. I think we should respect all jobs, but yours in particular is one of the most important jobs for society. Don't feel bad for working hard at something practical that helps people. Your job not only pays a decent amount, but it also benefits society. How many people get to say that about their jobs?" u/cosmic-seas reminded the man, "Almost every small child idolizes garbage men and wants to be one, right alongside astronauts, doctors or firefighters. It's adults who tell them it's not a tenable career to pursue, which you are proving wrong." u/Sunny_Glitter1028 shared, "Let me tell you. Here in NYC working for sanitation is a competitive job. Just remember your worth!"

u/MovieNightPopcorn quipped, "No. All work is worthy of dignity, and this one is even more so. You provide an essential service to the community. It is under-appreciated, perhaps, but you are making a solid income (depending on your cost of living locally) with good benefits, something that is not easy to come by in general, especially without a college degree." u/erikleorgav2 added, "Does it pay the bills, and keep you fed, housed, and clothed? I'd wager it does. I say, absolutely not. There are plenty of people I've met who make a better living doing things such as driving trucks or delivering goods, that are better off financially than those who sit in an office. Some are happier with less stress too."