As many of you know, I am no cheeerleader for the Corporate Nation, I think greedy corporations are tearing at the fabric of America, driving off small and individual and retail business, ruining work, paying too little to workers, too much to bosses, widening the gap between rich and poor. They generally pretend to care about us – our calls are important to them – but we all know most of them don’t.

In fairness, I do love some corporations, they give me hope, and I appreciate the way they treat people like me – Apple and UPS come to mind.

Bernie is the regular driver on our UPS route, and the service he gives us is always far and beyond the call of duty. He is careful with the many packages we receive – he has never damaged or misplaced one – and he is friendly and thoughtful. We see him as a friend who just happens to deliver stuff from Amazon, mostly, and some other places.

The dogs are wild about him, Fate and Red listen for his truck, and rush outside to see  him. He always has biscuits in his pocket, and loves to get down on the ground with them. He loves to photograph the animals on our route with his cellphone. Once in a rare while, he has time for a brief chat, and I have become especially fond of this conscientious and decent person.

Bernie reminds me of the men and women I know who love their work and work hard to do it well, they are heroes to me in many ways. I try to do the same.

We live in a cloud of complaint and victimization, I think sometimes we are becoming a nation of full-time victims and whiners and complainers. I know not to speak poorly of my life, I rarely do, but I sometimes forget to speak as well of it as I should, and of the many good people in it.

Anger and lament seem to be the currency of our social dialogue, yet there is so much good if we will look for it.

Bernie, like Kelly, is another example of a story that will never make their news. His customers appreciate his work very much, and it is a gift to be happy when your UPS person drives into the driveway and the people and animals on the farm run to say hello.  I would trust Bernie with my home, my car, my wallet in a second.

That means more than people realize, I think, and I appreciate Bernie for it. So, clearly, does Fate, who showered him with kisses.