Thanks for the little things, too often overlooked

Kurt Vonnegut famously noted that the small things in life are actually the really big things. Here’s a shout-out to five that deserve recognition:

1. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: The paperclips and staplers of our lives, these are the people who hold things together; the rubber bands whose firm yet flexible force provide much-needed resolution in certain situations. Special acknowledgement is due to the duct-tapers, who always have our back.

2. 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: These energizers enable us to get more done. We suffer withdrawal when they’re not in the room, not at the table, not in our lives.

3. 𝗭𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀: Ask any teacher, boss, elected official, board chair or coach: Meshing and aligning people so they function reliably is among the hardest things to accomplish.

4. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀: These people bring focus and perspective to all that’s happening around us. Among the most valuable are the bifocal-ers, those who help us see what’s right before our eyes yet in the context of what lies ahead.

5. 𝗭𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: These people add spice, surprise, amusement; a beautiful or entertaining twist to the ordinary.

While these five functions may seem small or mundane, they are the big things in each of our lives. The people that do them make a family a family, a business a place people want to work. They make a community a community, a state or nation functional, and the human race, more humane.

It’s important to identify and acknowledge the people who play these roles in our lives. Thank them; celebrate them! And if ever there was a time to emulate them, it’s now.

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