The Shoveler and his Golden Shovel

Hey Mack, grab your shovel and dig this ditch.

Mack’s smile gleams brightly in the damp morning air.  He reaches for the shovel and grabs the handle with pride, much as a pro baseball player grabs his bat during game one of the World Series.  Mack has a job to do, and he’ll do it well.

He slowly and craftfully slides the head of the shovel deep into the rich soil of the roadside.  He feels much like a surgeon making his first delicate incision.  The head of the shovel reaches the ideal depth; the depth at which the maximum amount of soil will be removed.  Mack has a keen sense for this, maximizing each dig, each bit of effort so he works most efficiently.  As he gently lifts the shovel, a wonderful new hole begins to appear, in what was once a flat boring surface.  He lifts swiftly and carefully.  Bits of dirt and sand slowly roll from the edges of the shovel as he skillfully swings to the side; the side of what will soon be a magnificent trench.  The blackish dirt slides easily off the face of the shovel.  He inhales deeply, taking in the rich aroma of the dampened soil.  He gives a slight chuckle as he imagines that many people will never experience that glorious scent.

Mack relishes the first dig of each new ditch, trench, or hole.  Very quickly, however, he picks up speed.  Moving faster and faster.  Still precise, yet amazingly efficient.  Scoop after scoop, shovel full after shovel full, a ditch begins to take shape.

The foreman looks over, and sees Mack working.  He recognizes Mack as the best worker he’s ever known, and is very pleased to have him working this job site.  Mack’s face shows little strain and has a rather pleasant look to it.  He wonders briefly what goes on in Mack’s head as he works.

Thoughts slowly roll through Mack’s head.  He thinks of his family and how much he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter.  He thinks of the wonderful weekend he has planned, relishing the time he’ll spend with his family.  He thinks of the job at hand.  He thinks of “The Shoveler;” his very own superhero name that came to him while flipping through an old comic late one evening.  He thinks of a golden shovel, what a spectacular ode to his work that would make.  He thinks of how lucky he is to work outdoors and soak in the warm rays of the sun.

In what is actually hours, but seems like minutes, his task is complete.  Mack takes a moment to admire his masterpiece.  Straight as an arrow, the depth is perfect, the sides are smooth.  Even the extracted earth is piled neatly to the side.  He has done his job and done it well.

A broad smile crosses his face as he heads back to the foreman for the next assignment.  You see, Mack is a dreamer, but he’s also a doer.  He loves the feeling of excellence, the feeling of doing his best.  He doesn’t want to be “The Shoveler” for the rest of his life, but while here, working to support his family and working to enjoy his time away from work, he’s going to work hard.  And one day, maybe, just maybe, he’ll earn that most wonderful imaginary prize; the golden shovel.  A prize not about work, as you might think, but rather a symbol of his commitment to his family, to his life, and to himself.  Mack, my hat goes off to you; I think you have already earned this prize.

Thank you to my friend Jeff, whom I worked with in my early days of Information Technology.  We had a discussion from which the ideas for this short story first took place.  I’d also like to thank Lisis for her recent post on Net Worth vs. Self Worth, this got me thinking about this story which formed so many years ago.
Photo Credit: Man with Shovel, 1870s Robert Onderdonk

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