This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Last week, I mentioned that postal workers (and other shipping companies) ranked No. 5 on my Top Ten List of Most Important Jobs in the World.

Some of you took exception to ranking postal workers so high, and others wanted to know the rest of the list. So here goes.

No. 1. Garbage collectors/waste treatment workers. These are the most important workers in a modern society. If it weren't for them hauling off and cleaning up our waste — which is appalling in its amount — 75 percent of us would be dead from disease.

No. 2. The military. soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen/airwomen, Coast Guard, etc. The world can be an evil place. Someone has to keep the monsters at bay. I don't always agree with why they're asked to risk their lives, but I'm grateful for those who step up when called.

Note: That goes double for my neighbor, Utah National Guard Sgt. Ryan Jessop, who's in #@*&! Kuwait instead of home for Christmas where he belongs.

No. 3. Cops/firefighters/EMTs. Anyone whose job it is to keep the public safe, often despite our inclination to be otherwise. Cops aren't terribly popular right now thanks to the behavior of some, but the only reason most of us dare leave our houses after dark is because they're out there keeping the homegrown monsters in their caves.

No. 4. Nurses — all of them. I don't care whether it's bedpans or surgical assistants. Thanks to various idiot hobbies, I've spent enough time in hospitals to know who does all the work, and who actually brings me the drugs I like.

No. 5. Postal workers. I already covered them last week, but here's another shout-out to the men and women who make sure we get our stuff.

No. 6. Utility workers. By this I mean anyone whose job it is to keep the lights on, the water running, the roads patched and the snow cleared. Whatever comfort we enjoy this holiday season is due primarily to them.

No. 7. Farmers/ranchers/fishers, etc. Anyone who grows, catches, raises or otherwise contributes to keeping America fed. That hamburger or tofu sandwich didn't crawl onto your plate by itself. It required a lot of work from people who risked lightning, heatstroke and bears to get it done. Thanks.

Another note: This goes double for the saddle crowd at Tavaputs Ranch.

No. 8. Teachers. All of them, but especially K-12 teachers. They make America a literate society despite the e-brains most kids bring to school today. None of our successes would have been possible if someone didn't teach us how to read.

No. 9. Secretaries/executive assistants. I don't care how smart, successful, powerful or whatever you are, you'd suck at it if it weren't for someone having your back. No corporation, organization or business could exist without someone knowing just exactly what the hell is going on in it.

No. 10. Journalism. Generally, this is anyone who brings the world to our attention, the people who keep us informed in a fairly reliable manner. We can be safe, healthy, fed and comfortable and still be idiots about what is going on.

Note: By journalism, I especially mean my editor/boss Rachel.

Yes, my own career barely made the list. Depending on my mood, it sometimes drops off the most important job list in favor of gravediggers or cannibals.

When that happens, journalism makes my Ten Most Useless Jobs in The World list, somewhere between politicians and clergy.

Robert Kirby can be reached at rkirby@sltrib.com or facebook.com/stillnotpatbagley.