      I am a sucker for romantic comedies. In TV watching I go for the political stuff but when it comes to movies I love the schmaltzy story lines. Worse yet, I can watch them again and again…and again.
           Occasionally a touching scene or memorable line of dialogue helps the movie stand out from amongst the pack. Such is the case with the 2009 Touchstone Studios release of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" based on the books by Sophie Kinsella and starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. It is the story of a writer who can't stop shopping and who through a series of twists ends up working at a financial periodical instead of the fashion magazine she aspires to. Despite the fact she lives off maxed-out credit cards while he enlightens readers on prudent financial strategies they (ah, surprise) end up together, and he attempts to teach her that "cost and worth are very different things."
           The price of an item indicates what it will cost to purchase. Whether or not we make that purchase is an indication of its worth to us, driven by what we feel is worthy of spending our money on. Choosing between the name or house brand of spaghetti sauce while wondering if the extra cost is worth it is one thing, but determining how to put the money into the hands of the consumers making that choice is another thing entirely. Cost and worth, as it applies to what people earn, is a very different thing. Sadly, what it costs a business or organization to hire a particular employee often has little reflection on what that employee is truly worth.
           I love watching the NHL but the reality of what my favourite player earned last year baffles me. Yes, the spin-off benefits to the city where he plays and the entire league cannot be forgotten. But how is it we have decided what he does should earn millions, meantime the individuals nurturing our children or caring for our grandparents are earning less in a year than the $81,707 he makes per game. I know this athlete does a whole lot more than show up at game time. His work ethic, training and community involvement extend beyond his ice time, but he still makes way more money than the cleaning staff who keep operating rooms safe, the law enforcement officers and firefighters who walk into situations instincts tell us to stay out of, or the people who go out and restore utilities, roadways and public access when something has gone wrong. Their worth greatly exceeds the cost to their employers--and to us.
           Rarely does the salary someone earns reflect the true value of their work. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Don’t misunderstand. They deserve more. But knowing that despite the financial limitations of some of these jobs, people seek them out anyway, may in some way demonstrate the value those individuals place on the work they are doing.
           Prior to her retirement, my mother worked in the field of nursing. I could no more follow in her footsteps than I could qualify for the next space shuttle mission. Nursing was never going to be in my future--especially in the place she loved to work--a longterm care facility. But my mother was very good at it. Many years ago she was asked to pilot a project for nursing home residents with dementia, and when my university class schedule allowed she encouraged me to come in and play the piano. As I watched my mother work so lovingly with the residents I was reminded that although you can pay someone to do any type of work, you can't pay for the value of the intent behind the work. What she did, and many others do, is beyond the remuneration they receive. Cost and worth.
           We can do little about the dollar amount on the pay checks of those whose work is undervalued so we need to look to other ways to demonstrate our gratitude. Calls, cards, texts, tweets, food or flowers may not help with the mortgage payments but they will go a long way toward ensuring people feel good about the importance of their work. You can't cash it at the bank but the expressions of thanks will be played over and over again in the receiver's mind and become part of the dialogue that makes the story of their work life feel like a blockbuster. That's my outlook.
