by Allen Rathey

There was a time when life was less confusing. People knew their place and stayed in it.

For instance, saying good morning to the janitor used to be a time-honored way for someone in the higher strata of society to demonstrate a feeling of superiority—a magnanimous gesture producing in a person of higher echelons that sense of being a good guy or gal, not a snob in any way, willing to speak to anyone.

The person on the receiving end of the greeting plainly felt a bit of a lift when addressed by someone he considered part of the upper crust.

But the old order is crumbling. It is most noticeable in larger towns, where a lowly mop jockey with an ounce of sense and ambition can go into business for himself and often earn as much as the executives whose offices he maintains. If very successful, he becomes an executive himself, coordinating numerous accounts and people under him.

In metropolitan areas where high-rise office buildings involve megabuck cleaning contracts, the “janitor” drives a Mercedes, has a secretary or two, and wears pin-stripe suits. He deals with powerful execs one-on-one without having to bow his head and shuffle his feet as if he were nothing more than an obedient puppy.

Certainly, this is true of a large number of formerly looked-down-on trades. Short-order cooks are now well-paid chefs. Ex-gardeners are landscape designers or, if licensed, landscape architects. Former grease monkeys are auto service technicians and fuel-injection specialists.

Watering the plants was once a humble job. Now the greenery is tended by those with impressive business roots, whose trade isn’t just pots and plants, but horticulture and interior decorating too. Interiorscapers, as they are called, have green thumbs, and often bank accounts to match.

The rise in job status has to do with growing skills and self-respect on the part of former lowly tradesmen and women. These people realize they are specialists with much-needed knowledge and expertise. How they are viewed boils down to how they view themselves.

How can you tell when a profession is on the ascent? Most often, the little things tell the story. Speak to anyone whose status you’re uncertain of in a condescending way and see if they subtlely bristle. Better yet, ask for a phone number and—if the party in question is among the elite—he or she will likely slip you a business card embossed with a designer logo on the finest stock.

Above all, never forget, the members of the new upper crust have a sense of being down-to-earth, not snobs in any way. Meet them first thing in the morning, and they make it a point to greet you with a smile. After all, they’ll speak to anyone.