Day 4 - 192 -- Links to Coal

 Walking in to work today, listening to the iPod, I almost laughed out loud -- an odd thing to do while walking alone down a semi-busy street <smile>.  The song was about working and there I was headed uphill to the office. As the song continued, I felt there was more to it than just my journey to the office job. It made me realize that many other jobs involve greater physical labour and for many, danger. The coal miners of this part of the world lived through many mining disasters -- bumps as they are called. They lived and worked knowing that such events could happen any day. Imagine being deep underground in a shaft that extends out under the ocean. I'll admit that all my claustraphobe senses go on high alert even thinking about this. I've been into the top of a retired mine down the highway and that was plenty.

Once mined, coal fed the fires of industry. My father worked on the railway as a fireman -- that is a fire-man who manned the fires on a steam engine. His job was to shovel coal from the coal car -- always the one behind the engine -- to ensure the fire was as strong as needed for the steam required. Once diesel engines arrived in the early '60s, firemen became the second brakeman. By the '90s, only one brakeman was standard for a crew.

So today's song was one that initiated thoughts rather than the usual way the blog develops. It was interesting how this song took me on a journey with my morning walk today. This version involves two legends of Cape Breton -- the first I never saw in concert and the group I've seen several times. Enjoy!

Working Man -- Rita MacNeil and Men of the Deeps