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Read Something Trashy

May 31, 2013
by Caroline Miller
"Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City", Robin Nagle, the unseen life of the sanitation worker
2 Comments

Anyone who wants to learn how to be invisible should pick up a copy of Robin Nagle’s new book, Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City. The tale is an odyssey of pure trash as Nagle rides along with one of the 10,000 sanitation workers who pick up after 8.2 million New Yorkers. Like the postal services, these guardians of debris work with regularity through heat waves, snow storms and bombings. Nagle calls them “unmarked” elements of daily life because when these folks put on their uniforms — unlike police officers, firefighters, soldiers, or doctors — they become invisible.

 Sociologists Wayne Brekhus agrees about their invisibility and thinks it comes from performing a job that is “unextraordinary” — a job so routine that unless it stops, it goes unnoticed. All a city resident notices about “The Invisibles” is that when he puts his garbage out at night, it magically disappears by morning. (“Taking out the trash,” excerpted article from Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City by Robin Nagle, The Week, pgs. 40-41, May 17, 2013).

 To be honest, New York City isn’t so different from my neck of the woods. The name of my letter carrier is John. He has a wife and a new baby girl. All I know about the sanitation workers in my neighborhood is that my garbage has to be on the curb by 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

 I’m glad Nagle reminded me to feel grateful about those who perform so seamlessly and so invisibly a job I would hate to do. That’s why I’m sending out a big thank today to the sanitation workers of the world. I should thank Robin Nagle, too. I once wrote that there was a book written for every subject the human mind could imagine. He’s proved me right.

woman sanitation worker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of www.silive.com)

 

 

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2 Comments
  1. Christine Webb May 31, 2013 at 2:14 pm Reply
    I appreciated your blog very much, this morning, Caroline. Although this morning is absolutely beautiful in its own right, I know in my heart it is even a nicer day because our collector came by as I was having breakfast, and didn’t leave to continue on his route until everything was ready for us to begin accumulating trash for yet, another week. Sometimes we wave in recognition of one another--I just hope that he knows how grateful I am to him for doing this task. I love Friday mornings. Religiously, and weather permitting, of course, I mow the front lawn on Thursday evenings so that when I look out the kitchen window on Friday mornings, everything is neat and tidy. That the garbage and lawn debris is gone is a much appreciated, added benefit. But the thing I enjoy even more is the visit, the night before, from our street sweeper. For 11 years, I have delighted in hearing the hum of his engine in the wee hours of the morning, as he slowly proceeds along the curb, first heading in one direction and then the other, leaving our streets and curbs without so much as a fallen leaf, in his wake. One night a few months ago, after I heard the first hint of his machine, I jumped out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt over my pajamas, grabbed a Gerber knife sample that I keep for just these occasions, and ran outside to the curb to wait for him to arrive. I am sure he was very surprised to see a lone figure standing at the curb as he approached, holding out her hand, waving for him to stop at 4 in the morning. I hope the thought of receiving that little token put a smile on his face throughout the rest of his shift. On Friday morning, the lawn is mowed, the garbage, collected, and the streets, as clean as a whistle--I don’t think it could be much prettier in front of our little house--I love Friday mornings! .
    • Caroline Miller May 31, 2013 at 4:26 pm Reply
      Thanks for sharing your experience, Chris. Obviously some of us "see" better than others. I salute your kind heart.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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