The return of a crisp autumn breeze brings out the best in our state’s legendary work ethic, none more so than in Southeast Nebraska. Harvest crews are sprinting to finish their tasks before the dry weather breaks, road and construction crews are putting in hours to finish projects before the winter freeze, CNS and outage workers are kicking off Outage, and first responders and TSCI teammates are on duty around the clock to keep us all safe. The peaceful autumn breeze is not an invitation to stand still but rather a steady drumbeat to guide the buzz of labor in our region.

Those working overtime in this season aren’t alone. Families adjust to tough schedules, and kids learn to help wherever they can. Growing up, my sisters and I knew another outage at Cooper meant our Dad would be at work twelve hours per day, six days a week, for at least a few months. Throw in daily commute and security time; we’d be lucky to see Dad before Christmas. Every kid whose parents work long hours knows the drill- don’t expect to see your parent in the stands for every single game, help with the chores, and take a moment to appreciate the hard work your parent is doing to keep people safe/keep the lights on/keep harvest moving.

Hard work is woven into the fabric of Southeast Nebraska. While many parts of our country have strayed far from the pioneering spirit that laid the foundation for the American Dream to thrive, you will still find plenty of it in our little slice of heaven. May God Bless the hands at work this season and those who keep things moving at home.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.