A final thought or two about the just-passed Labor Day.

As we go about our daily routines, it is easy to forget just how inter-connected we have become as a people. It has become vitually impossible for us to get through a day without being touched in some way by others. We have come to depend on each other for even the simplest of tasks.

Most of us drove to work this morning. If so, perhaps you stopped to fill up your tank. Sure, it costs more than it used to &045; a lot more. But have you given much though lately to how many people were involved in making that gas available for you to purchase? From the drilling crews that brought the oil up out of the ground to the refineries that turned it into a dozen different useful products &045; all vital to our modern life.

And, too, what of those who transported that oil and gasoline? You probably had to pump it yourself, but did you thank the convenience store clerk where you bought that gasoline for helping to make a product so vital to our daily routines so readily and easily available?

What about the food we eat? Perhaps you plan to eat at The Downtowner for lunch. Or Strong’s No. 2. Or any of Selma’s other eateries. Ever stop to think how many people are involved in getting that meat and three to your table?

It matters little if you don’t eat out. The food you buy at one of our area supermarkets requires a similar chain of inter-

connectedness before it finds its way to your table. How many of us garden anymore? Not many &045; certainly not as many as did even a generation ago. And the numbers of those who do are likely dwindling each year.

There are countless other examples of our inter-connectedness. As we ponder the many ways in which others serve us, let us rededicate ourselves to serve our fellow man as best we can and to do our part to celebrate the dignity of labor.