I waited for the elevator to usher me from my office for the last time. As the doors opened, a young woman emerged and stopped after two steps. We eyed one another, each pausing before managing a weak “hi.” I had interviewed this amazing talent for hire, recommended her for employment, and she joined my team before being snatched up by higher management - as often happens to the gifted. But we’d never met.

All interactions had been virtual. We worked together for years, yet never saw one another in three dimensions. The “hi” was reflective of running into someone who is quite familiar, but who had never really met.1

This remarkable moment was repeated later that afternoon, as a group of colleagues gathered for a happy hour to celebrate the end of my professional career. People who were two-dimensional boxes on my monitor for over five years were with me at a table in the fading light of a Fall afternoon in Arlington, Virginia. Between sips, nibbles, and lively conversation, I kept returning to the surreal experience of these formerly bodiless friends come to life. I know the movement for telework surges and ebbs over time, and while I have been telecommuting when I could since 1990, this was a stark reminder of what I may have missed over the years.2

For 43 years, beginning with my enlistment in the U.S. Air Force in 1982, I have been engaged in a profession devoted to public service. Following my eight years in uniform, however, I pursued a path that proved more lucrative (and less subject to political winds) than actual federal service. A brief stint with an educational foundation and five years of international consulting with IBM were the only breaks from this focus.

I have always admired civil servants who persevered while denigrated as “bureaucrats” and worse. The current atmosphere is the worst I’ve seen in my life for these souls, and my thoughts are with them daily. What I’ve learned from them boils down to a simple message: The “government” is us. Whether you fail to vote, or dodge/fudge taxes, or look away from this moment confronting us all; the government consists of your three-dimensional neighbors. They are directed and guided by people we elect. When we dehumanize civil servants, we reduce them to a two-dimensional caricature. We see them only as discussed on cable news networks or satirical entertainment. We must do better.

One lesson I’ve struggled to keep front of mind is a quote that appears to have many authors: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a fierce struggle.” The citations for this quote are many, and the wording varies - the word “kind” is sometimes replaced with “pitiful.” One source may be found in this extract attributed to John Watson in 1903.

This man beside us also has a hard fight with an unfavouring world, with strong temptations, with doubts and fears, with wounds of the past which have skinned over, but which smart when they are touched. It is a fact, however surprising. And when this occurs to us we are moved to deal kindly with him, to bid him be of good cheer, to let him understand that we are also fighting a battle; we are bound not to irritate him, nor press hardly upon him nor help his lower self.3

Whatever the origin or phrasing, the message is one I share from my now-finished career. As people; public servants can be selfless and brave, they can also abuse their positions or become mere malingerers. As with any people, and any profession. However, as of this week, many of them have deposited their last paycheck and will struggle to find work. Many may be furloughed in the coming weeks as a long campaign to reduce the government workforce and privatize its operations continues apace.

As we enter yet another “government shutdown” it is vital to keep in mind the word shutdown does not capture the level of disruption and anxiety in thousands of households across the country. Keep them in mind, hire them if you can, and support them through this difficult time. Remember also those who are “essential” workers in that they must report to work but will not be paid until the government reopens.

I am stepping away from the field, reduced to chirping from the sidelines now, and leave it to brighter and younger souls to carry this message forward. Slàinte Mhath.

NB: For anyone who noticed the subtitle is a catchphrase by a beloved radio announcer for the New York Mets and thought therefore this would be a piece about their 2025 season? Nope. Way too soon, folks.