Pet waste removal worker finds $58 in dog poop

OK. Here in the category of "Yet Another Outstanding Example of Anecdotal Proof that 'The End is Near'" is a legit news, ah-h-, human interest, story. I'll let you read it and then I'll come back with a comment or two.

Pet waste removal worker finds $58 in dog poop
Jun 15, 9:19 PM (ET)
ST. LOUIS (AP) - This is why your mother says to wash your hands after handling money: A St. Louis worker found $58 - packed in dog poop. Steve Wilson works for DoodyCalls Pet Waste Removal. On a recent call, he noticed money sticking out from doggie doo. Wilson wasn't sure what to do, but eventually pulled out the bills, sanitized them, placed them in a plastic zip-locked bag and returned them to the customer. It turned out to be $58.
The company said the money was torn, but the serial numbers were identifiable, which means the bills could be returned to a bank and replaced with new money.
The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists says, "Wilson is the first person in his profession to find and report money in dog poop."

First, I feel compelled to stand up and draw a line on the difference between an occupation and that of a profession. I'm not trying to be elitist here, but given the nature of this subject's particular job and it's duties (no pun, intended... get it - dooty? duty!). I really find it unfathomable that any sane, bright, ambitious individual would be dreaming of and aspiring to one day becoming a pet waste professional! "A for me...I don't want to cure cancer. I want to pick up Lassie's poop!" I believe that the job description along with the formal set of responsibilities and duties associated with this position within a corporate framework is still solidly - an occupation, not a profession. Further, I say that it takes much more than some fee-based association that happens to use the word 'professional' in it's name to make this task, this service job, loftier or more than what it is - an occupation. Professions are necessary to the functioning and well being of a civilized society.

Second, isn't this story also metaphorical and ironic, through a different lens.
We learn about this special person, a laborer who displayed exceptional honesty and integrity and lives by an incredible code of honor. Given his circumstances I bet we would've thought nothing, if he had simply [cleaned and then] pocketed the cash. This is what he did -
He cleaned, sanitized and packaged the bills and brought them back to 'the owner' [of the pet]. Incredible!! He had nothing tangible to gain. The money was not his. He was paid for his labor, so therefore the only option was to return the money. This is what he believed. Wow!

Isn't that the kind of integrity we'd expect of our well educated, super smart, talented, innovative, information services savvy worker force; and especially those occupying the offices of C-level executives? Yet, even with history as the master teacher - we still failed to monitor and provide proper oversight and those folks were creating and selling packages of poo and adding rules and processes that made the system just a little more shaky and byzantine. Soon it was all about being part of the special priesthood. They basically made everyone believe that they possessed 'special talents' and that meant that they were entitled to earn an obscene amount of money! How obscene? Well, here's the situation for literally thousands of these financial trolls working Wall Street. They get paid an amount (in one year) that could provide a 'sizeable' nestegg for a couple or even a family of four to live off of for a decade or more. And then there are hundreds and hundreds more that could do that plus fund new ideas and small tech for 10 years. From seed, these young startups would create hundreds of jobs that pay competitvely and the company's products/services meet needs and solve real problems.

Anyhow, here we have a case of simple laborer working an occupation that performs a not so pleasant personal pet housekeeping sevice who believes that personal honesty and integrity can not to be compromised. And we also see that his actions with respect to the found money are completely 'professional'.

Whereas, the highly educated, respected, expereienced financial managers and their cadre of super talented, quick thinking, precise speaking, sharp dressing securities professionals working in the nation's top investment firms held their greed above the needs of the people they serve. This highly educated collective have erased and stolen more than hundreds of billions of dollars in equity from a great many people, organizations and countries.

They have rocked us to the core, thinking they were smarter and they could game the system. Still with all the 'negative' PR and the curtains being pulled down, you've got to admire their 'chutzpah' because they are still pulling down tens of millions of dollars in fees and salaries, they have skated over accountability, and they've still got most people fooled into believing that they are 'special somehow'.

Life is wonderfully mysterious.