They are among us, but we often do not notice.
The guy pushing a fluffy broom through a mall hallway. The woman emptying the trash can in a hospital room. The guy in rubber gloves cleaning up after a sick kid in the school cafeteria. The lady sweeping a carpet to begin her work shift, just as the office’s employees go home for the night.
Custodians. Building cleaners. Janitors.
Whatever the label, those folks are real people. They may get overlooked or ignored, fading in the background as the rest of the world goes on with its business and interests, but those who pick up what we leave behind have skills, talents and dreams.
READ MORE:
- Richard Goodall’s victory on America’s Got Talent is sparking funny ‘kidnapping’ fears in his hometown of Terre Haute
- Richard Goodall’s net worth has grown so much that he can finally retire and do what he loves with his wife Angie
Terre Haute’s Richard Goodall put a face on an often faceless livelihood. Millions of people, no doubt, cheered for him all the way through the 2024 “America’s Got Talent” competition, right up to the final seconds of Tuesday night’s season finale, when host Terry Crews hollered “Richard Goodall” as the winner of the $1-million first prize. So many viewers found themselves relating to Goodall, as he lived out a lifelong dream to entertain listeners with his voice.
Who felt his inspiration strongest? Folks “of a certain age” rooted for Goodall because he is experiencing all of the opportunity and adulation at 55 — the age when Denny’s customers qualify for the senior-menu discount.
Shoulder-to-the-plow quiet types love his story, too, because he exhibits humility. Young people appreciate his care for their needs — even the most basic of those — exemplified as he has wiped down school desks and restocked the restrooms of West Vigo Middle School and others schoolhouses for more than two decades.
Yet, the hearts beating fastest when Crews announced Goodall’s “AGT” victory Tuesday might have belonged to America’s 2,451,600 janitors. They are employed by city, county, state and federal government entities; schools and colleges; hospitals and clinics; apartment and office complexes; shopping outlets; supermarkets and more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
His fellow janitors might have been watching Goodall on a TV glowing in the back of a darkened office as they mopped the floor.
It can be lonely work. As a BLS summary puts it, “Because office buildings are often cleaned while they are empty, many cleaners work evening hours. When there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, such as in hospitals, cleaners work in shifts that may include nights, weekends or holidays.”
Through those hours, Richard Goodall kept singing. As a close friend recalled, they met when the guy overheard Goodall’s soaring voice, singing along to music through earbuds as he cleaned an office. “Hmmm, that was pretty good,” Dicky James — an accomplished Terre Haute blues musician — remembered thinking after hearing Goodall sing while he worked. They struck up a friendship.
James likens Goodall’s impact on everyday people to that of “Rocky,” actor Sylvester Stallone’s underdog boxer character in the 1976 movie. In “Rocky” sequels, a retired Rocky Balboa eventually runs a restaurant full of mementos and back-in-the-day stories. Rocky even takes a crack at a return to the ring.
Big things are, no doubt, ahead for Goodall. In the wake of Tuesday’s finale, he has been asked about a possible movie to tell his life story. And, Goodall has hinted that he and his newlywed wife Angie may look for a home in a warmer climate.
And, of course, his job at the schools can await Goodall, too.
Whatever path he follows, all who have watched him sing now may better appreciate the abilities and potential of others. Well done, Richard Goodall.
RELATED:
- Richard Goodall takes home a huge prize on AGT, but his modest lifestyle and humble attitude haven’t changed
- Richard Goodall’s first concert sells out after becoming America’s Got Talent 2024 winner, wowing his hometown fans
- A touching scene from the AGT 2024 finale as Simon Cowell comforts Richard Goodall and Roni Sagi with heartbreaking news
