Back in July during our vacation, we traveled to southern Indiana for a few days.

It was no big deal, just a quick trip to Spring Mill State Park and the Lincoln Memorial.

But something struck me about the people down in that part of the state.

They just seemed more friendly and engaging to me. Everywhere we went, people struck up friendly conversations with us.

We stayed at a small hotel in Jasper for a couple nights. We checked in one late evening.

The lady at the desk was cheerful and helpful. She was giving away free candy bars left to her by a salesman that stayed there.

Just seconds after we got to the room, the phone rang. It was the lady from the front desk. She called just to see if everything was OK with the room. She asked if the accommodations were acceptable. If there were any problems, she said, it would be easier to move us to another room before we unpacked all our stuff.

There were no problems.

But that simple phone call made me feel as if I were getting my money's worth from the hotel.

How refreshing. But it definitely is the exception instead of the rule these days.

Maybe it's me, but the "service with a shrug" attitude seems to be becoming more prevalent.

I don't know how many times I've encountered people at service counters who act as if they really didn't care whether I bought anything or not.

Maybe it's the result of a booming economy. Nobody really needs your business.

Here's a flash.

The economy will - without question - change. Someday, businesses will really need customers again.

It's a matter of attitudes, I guess. It's a matter of the work ethic changing in America.

The idea of an "honest day's work for an honest day's pay" seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Lots of times it seems as if workers have the idea that the company owes them a living.

Take this UPS strike, for example.

I can understand why workers would be upset by the prospect of their employer eliminating full-time jobs in favor of part-time jobs.

But on the other hand, what causes UPS to make that move in the first place?

Is it because the executives who run UPS are all greedy money grubbers who are trying to squeeze every last dime out of the company with no regard for the workers?

I suppose one could argue that, but I don't think that's the whole story.

More likely is that the cost of doing business is rising for UPS and it, like many other businesses, is trying to reduce the cost of doing business.

But wouldn't efficiency go a long way toward counteracting the rising cost of doing business? If each worker gave an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, would UPS have to do the part-time thing?

Maybe not.

I hear a lot about the greed of corporations, the stratospheric CEO salaries, and the rape and pillage of the American worker.

To be sure, there is some of that happening in America.

But just as prevalent is the attitude among workers that the employer owes them a living.

For every manager who abuses employees there are dozens of employees who abuse the company.

Compare attendance records and efficiencies of the American workers against those of other industrialized nations.

Does this mean I think all American workers are lazy?

Of course not.

But I do believe there is room for improvement in the American workforce.

I see it everywhere.

From the fast food guy forgetting to put a fork in the bag with your big breakfast to the guy who comes to work late all the time.

Ever seen five guys leaning on shovels watching the sixth guy dig along a roadside?

Know anybody at work who always seems to be on the phone with a friend or family member? And you know that friend or family member likely is at work, too.

How about the guy or gal you know who works the company's attendance policy to the limit, taking every available minute off and living on the edge of termination?

Or the worker who abuses the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Workers Compensation Act.

Know anybody who always seems to have some work-related injury?

Your company encourages you to quit smoking for your health's sake. They make the place smoke free. Your response? Several nice, long smoking breaks each day.

Some workers spend more time finding ways to avoid work than they do working. If they channeled all that energy into their job they'd be employee of the month.

In a perfect world, if we all pulled together - employers and employees alike - and tried to give an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, there would be no need for strikes and labor disputes. [[In-content Ad]]