Recently Geoffrey Owens, known to many as Elvin on “The Cosby Show,” was spotted bagging groceries at a New Jersey Trader Joe’s. Social media blew up when a picture of Owens appeared, but instead of praising his willingness to work, people made disparaging comments about his job.
After discovering what was happening, the first person Owens contacted was his 19-year-old son, saying, “I’m really sorry if this embarrasses you.” His son sent a beautiful response that moved his father to tears.
An interviewer on “Good Morning America” asked Owens about the social-media comments. He responded by saying, “This business of my being this Cosby guy who got shamed for working at Trader Joe’s, that’s going to pass … but I hope what doesn’t pass is this idea … this rethinking about what it means to work, you know, the honor of the working person and the dignity of work. And I hope that this period that we’re in now, where we have a heightened sensitivity about that and a re-evaluation of what it means to work, and a re-evaluation of the idea that some jobs are better than others because that’s actually not true … Every job is worthwhile and valuable.”
Julie BaumgardnerWhat message are we sending to our children when society is willing to shame someone for an honest day’s work?
According to Fit for Work, both paid and unpaid work is good for our health and well-being. It contributes to our happiness, helps us to build confidence and self-esteem, and it rewards us financially.