Usually when we think of Labor Day we are saying farewell to summer and turning towards fall and welcoming crisp, cool days; Mother Nature's vibrant colors waving and, of course pumpkin spice everything and everywhere! To be honest... we love it all! But who would we be if we didn't stop for a brief moment and recognize the value of the day and it's long and honorable history of paying respect to the American worker? And of course, somewhere along the line we have to tie everything into a "STEMmish" type post for good measure. So here we go...
The history of Labor Day dates back to the late 1800's when the first labor day was celebrated on September 5, 1882. Twelve years later, President Grover Cleveland signed into law making the first Monday in September a national holiday. Here we are 126 years later and we continue to celebrate the remarkable American worker!
Everyday, in America we journey through a land filled with ingenuity, innovation and inspiration. Our cell phones wake us with alarms that range from roosters on a farm to rock bands at a concert. Our coffee pots are next in the relay and work diligently to provide us with a hot Cup o' Joe to energize us for our next task - showering and getting dressed. A microwave carefully elevates the breakfast burrito to an edible temperature so you can dash out the front door while quickly setting your alarm with an app on your cell phone in order to protect your belongings throughout the workday.
You wrestle yourself into your car and adjust the electric seats, temperature, automatic mirrors and stereo before you turn to your GPS system in order to find the quickest route to work that will avoid traffic being monitored and reported by a helicopter swirling over the main drag into the city. On your way to work electronic road signs offer traffic updates while road crews work diligently to engineer and expand the roadways while offering safer travel for everyone preparing for the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
You enter the underground parking garage, walk through an underground tunnel to an elevator that whisks you to 12th floor of a 30-story high rise building that is covered in windows. Your day is spent answering phone calls and emails that manage to travel thousands of miles from Earth to satellites in space only to be sent thousands of miles back to Earth to exactly the right location in a split second all while you work on a computer to that can print to a 3D printer.
Once the work day is done - you journey back home to relax in your well protected home and order take out dinner from an app on your phone that will be delivered in 20 minutes. You relax in front of a television that makes you feel as though you're in a movie theater while reclining in an ergonomic chair with heat and a built-in charger for your phone. Once you're ready for bed you will set a number for your bed that will be perfectly adjusted for you to have a good nights rest and all of this was brought to you by American men and women in the manufacturing trades who allow the dreams of STEM professionals to become reality. Without them... we could not grow.
From all of us at STEM Starter - Thank you. God Bless you. God Bless the American worker!
STEM on!