My father was a fireman.  He was always a little embarrassed that he was “just” a blue-collar worker.  As a boy, I imagined him running into burning buildings and thought he was a genuine hero.  Even after the firemen of New York proved their heroism during the 9-11 tragedies, when America lauded its firemen and other first responders, he still remained embarrassed, which I still don’t understand?

It is clear to me that the current crisis is worse than the 9-11 crisis.  It is also clear that there will be heroes of this crisis, who deserve to lauded.  How will we ever show our appreciation to the valiant healthcare workers in the hospitals or the retail workers in our grocery/drug stores?  How about the lonely “road-cowboys” who leave their families to drive trucks, bringing our supplies?

However, my nomination for the most under-appreciated workers during any crisis would be the comedians.  Healthcare workers nurture us physically.  Comedians nurture us emotionally.  The need for laughter is greatly under-appreciated.  There is an old Jewish proverb that “as soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul.”

God bless our comedians . . . as well as our firemen and our healthcare workers!