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BEMIDJI — There’s no doubt that trade professionals literally build the world around us. They create everything from our homes and buildings to shopping malls and roadways.

They’re responsible for our access to running water, electricity and so much more.

But even though their work surrounds us, oftentimes, we don’t even realize the knowledge and skills that went into it. These craft professionals work long, hard hours behind the scenes constructing our world and are often overlooked and under-appreciated.

It's summer now. The big orange barrels and flashing arrows popping up along the highways can only mean one thing: road construction. And no one loves sitting at a standstill for half an hour while you’re late for work, school, daycare or wherever you need to be.

Just the other day, I was driving through Bemidji and I found myself irritable with the countless amount of stops.

Getting upset, of course, is a natural response to a frustrating or stressful situation. I’m sure we can all admit we've experienced some type of road rage when stuck in traffic or dealing with construction — I sure have.

However, when I’m in those situations I always think about my dad, who’s been working in road construction for more than 30 years. Every single summer since he graduated high school, he’s strapped on his boots and hit the highway to shovel near 300-degree asphalt all day, control the flow of traffic and keep the roads safe for his crew and drivers like us.

One time he told me a story of a driver that was clearly so upset with the construction setbacks, they had thrown their food out the window at him and his crew members. I know just as well as anyone that construction is annoying sometimes, but these men and women are just trying to do their job, like everyone else, without getting insulted and harassed on a daily basis.

When I was a child I would watch my dad pack his lunch and load up his truck. I remember noticing he seemed on edge, stressed even.

When I got a little older I asked him why he was so anxious about going to work. He responded by explaining how overwhelming it is trying to direct the summer tourism traffic along with the angry and impatient commuters through the work zone. Some people are so focused on gaining time, they may forget that reckless driving puts everyone in danger.

And for the last three decades, as my dad left the house before dawn and didn’t return until after dusk, he has many tales about his everyday life out on the road.

He’s seen everything from individuals driving while on their phones and doing their makeup to the fatal crashes it can cause to them and others. Oftentimes as he drives in the middle of the night, he’s been the first one to many of those scenes and held them as they took their last breaths.

Now, I'm not writing this to depress you, I just want to truly convey how easily we can get distracted while driving and how dangerous it can be. We’ve all heard our fair share of tragic car accident stories, maybe it’s time we learn from them.

Not to mention the dangerous positions the workers are put in. Countless construction workers have died from drivers not paying attention or driving too fast through work sites.

The Federal Highway Administration cites a combination of factors that play a role in deadly work zone crashes, including speeding, distracted driving and following too closely to the vehicle ahead.

A common denominator in all of these factors is that they can be controlled and fixed. Let this serve as a friendly reminder to be aware of your surroundings, plan ahead of your drive, slow down and don’t drive distracted or under the influence this summer — or any day.

We have so much to thank the construction industry and its workers for. Please help my dad and all of the other construction crews stay safe on the roads this summer.