The question of whose life matters is a tepid topic these afternoons.
When you look at it logically, the importance of a single’s life cannot be fully judged until it has ended plus that applies equally to all people.
Another unavoidable truth of life is that it is not fair. Short people have a tough time on the hoops court while tall people struggle in an airplane. It usually balances out but some people who accomplish unbelievable deeds under tough circumstances remain unsung heroes outside their chosen field. One of those unsung heroes was Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961). A quick Google search will reveal that he was a guy of humble roots, a bi-racial child in the afternoons of Jim Crow plus that he is considered a giant in the field of refrigeration. Of his 61 patents, 40 were related to refrigeration plus air conditioner including a single in 1943 for removable cooling units for compartments. He co-founded Thermo-King plus developed Heating, Ventilation plus A/C systems for bus, shuttle, plus passenger rail applications. The impact of Jones’ innovations are never absolutely appreciated until you think about the portable cooling units he designed. They helped preserve food, medicine plus blood that was delivered to army hospitals plus even open battlefields during WW 2. What makes Jones’ story more incredible is that he was a virtual orphan at the age of seven, was raised in a Catholic rectory, plus got his first job as a cleaning boy at age 11. His life did not amount to much as a cleaner but when he died in 1961, his was a life that mattered more than almost anyones.