Hard Hats and Hammers

Anyone who has ever laid eyes on this blog knows that I am a fan of Alan Jackson's music. Recently, as a perused YouTube for some A.J. songs, I came across an old favorite. It's called "Hard Hat and a Hammer" The song is so characteristic of many workers in America, especially those who work in the factories and the mills. I've been the son of a mill worker for 23 years and I get to hear all about that kind of work. From the long graveyard shifts, to the nicknames everyone were given, to the pranks that were played, to the sweat in summer months and the cold toes in winter, to the days when everything breaks down,  to the times when accidents occurred, and to the times when companies just lost respect for those who wear the "hard hat" and hold "the hammer."

You see, I'm as conservative and pro-business as they come, but it seems giant corporation have lost respect for the backbone of their companies-the guys sweating in summer and freezing in winter, the guys fixing broken equipment, and the guys struggling to spend time with their families because of working overtime to pay outrageous insurance premiums. Why can't the giant corporations just see the guys with the "hard hats" and "hammers" just for who they are-people. Take a look at the song:

"Hard Hat And A Hammer"

Lace-up boots and faded jeans
A homemade sandwich, a half jug of tea
Average Joe, average pay
Same ol' end and same ol' day

But there's nothing wrong with a hard hat and a hammer
Kind of glue that sticks this world together
Hands of steel and cradle of the Promised Land
God bless the working man

All week long making a living
Life keeps takin', he keeps giving
Behind the scene, below the grade
Hardly noticed but part of everything

But there's nothing wrong with a hard hat and a hammer
Kind of glue that sticks this world together
Hands of steel and cradle of the Promised Land
God bless the working man

He gives his life then fades away
Another young man takes his place
Average Joe, average pay
Same ol end, same old' day

But there's nothing wrong with a hard hat and a hammer
Kind of glue that sticks this world together
Hands of steel and cradle of the Promised Land

No, there's nothing wrong with a hard hat and a hammer
Kind of glue that sticks this world together
Hands of steel and cradle of the Promised Land
God bless the working man

The working man
Oh, the working man and woman

"Hands of steel", "cradle of the Promised Land", "hardly noticed but part of everything"...the working man often is just that-tough and the heart of what makes America great-industrious good-hearted men. Yet, so often "he gives his life" and just "fades away" without being noticed by the big whigs at the top.Well, let me tell you this, I notice the "hard hats" and the "hammers" and I always will. I say this to those who earn their living this way: Hard work doesn't go unnoticed! So recognize the working man today! After all, he's a part of what makes this world tick! Sometimes, the measure of a man can be found just under a "hard hat" and on the grip of a "hammer." That, my friends, is just a few thoughts from a small town southern man!