Is it Thankless jobs or Thankless people?

They say it's a thankless job; but, think it over: is the job thankless or is it the people (boss, customer, subordinate, company, whoever) who are thankless?

'Say thanks!' I exclaimed at a person who almost passed by without a word after taking my help. A close friend of mine calls me a 'mean person' cos I have a habit of making many-a-person thank me. And for many, to whom 'Thanks' comes as a sneeze during allergies, I make it a point to say 'You must be!' and for that, another friend calls me a 'Grinch.'

But, you must take a look around yourself to find out all those people who just walk out on any help you've extended or a favour you've done with a casual acknowledgment or sometimes even without a word of thanks.

While this is only about personal stuff, the scenes at workplaces are rather rude; thanklessness is an understatement. A person I was interviewing lately offered this reason for a switch "I want to switch as my job is a thankless job." I was caught smirking "Boy, tell me bout it!" We all crib about our thankless jobs, but how can that be a universal phenomenon? Think about it, and if you sit to enlist all the professions of people who complain as thankless jobs... you'll have:

* Drivers
* Servants (House maids, Man-servants)
* Teaching
* Customer support
* Maintenance (Computers, Factory)
* Security personnel, Police
* Postman / Mailman,
* Housewives' (Ah!!!)
* Community workers
* Front-desk executives

The list goes on as you think in more detail...

Not just that, you'll have people from highest order like entrepreneurs to the lowest servant in his company / family who has the same complaint referring to a 'thankless job'.
We're living in a fast world, we talk of Just-in-Time deliveries and get pissed-off without a seconds thought and give it off to the other person for a minutes delay. We've become so impatient that we cannot heed to the voice of our family members, let alone a cry on the street.

A machine in a factory cannot halt beyond few minutes on an unfortunate accident costing a person's life, nor can a international live-telecast of a game on the injury / death of a participant. The show must go on... How utterly not concerned!?!

Take a second to thank someone. And when you do thank someone, do it with a realization, that they made something easy for you, or done something complete for you, even the slightest help, even for someone's very presence.

"No job is menial" a student (Indira Parthasarathy) of once argued in my class. And I stand by it. No job is menial; people are.

Don't give a chance to anyone interacting with you to complain about thankless jobs. Make them realize that the job is worth the while, and more importantly, that the people being served are thankful.

Be thankful.