By Jeanni Ritchie
Custodians are often the first ones in the building and the last to leave. They keep our schools safe, our offices functional, our hospitals clean. Yet how often do we look past them, brushing by with barely a nod, treating their presence like part of the scenery?
I’ve been thinking about that while watching High Potential, my new favorite show. The main character is written off as “just” part of the janitorial staff — until someone notices her brilliant mind. Suddenly the invisible one becomes indispensable. And isn’t that so often true? The people we overlook carry stories, ideas, and potential we can’t begin to imagine.
Custodians have dreams. They sit around the table with their families at night just like we do. They make sacrifices, shoulder burdens, and hope for something better for their kids. They are not invisible, even if society has a way of treating them that way.
That’s why National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day exists. Celebrated each year on October 2, it was created to shine a light on the men and women who keep our schools, workplaces, and public spaces running. It’s a reminder to see them, thank them, and recognize their quiet contributions to our everyday lives.
So maybe the challenge this year is simple:
Look up. Make eye contact. Say thank you. Let them know their work — and their presence — matters. Not in a patronizing way, but in the truest way possible: with dignity, respect, and gratitude.
Because no one is ever “just” a custodian.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
