Will Work For Food (Something That Produces Results)

Life in a small town is different from life in the big city. Police care that there's a crack in your windshield. People have yards. The library's wireless signal isn't bogged down by all the people. And if you want to survive, you have to slow down.

On Tuesday, I was walking around getting to know the area a little better when I saw four or five REALLY old men digging around a tree. They had already cut all the branches off and were in the process of digging the trunk/stump out of the ground. Upon first inspection I thought, "These guys are way too old to be doing this." But I guess you can't tell a man to stop doing yard work, can you? I walked up and asked if they needed some help. They looked surprised and basically said if you want.

While digging the root system of a 60 year old ceder tree, I think it was ceder, they told me that they were the "Green Team". Also they told me they were the "Tuesday Troopers". Apparently the name had changed a few times. Every Tuesday a group of retired men who belong to the First Presbyterian Church in Monterey, meet at the church and do landscaping, and the group has been doing it for 13 years.

So I worked, and I worked hard. It was fun! I haven't done yard work and liked it ever, but I also haven't done yard work that was my decision to do. When we were about done they asked me if I'd like to stay for lunch, and I'm not one to turn down lunch.

We got the tree out of the ground and filled in the whole it left. Then they went to an unnoticeable part of the church yard and dug up some sod to put on top of the dirt. By the time it was all said and done I was dirty, happy, and ready to eat. There's a ladies group that meets every week at the church, and they always have a potluck. I guess this time they invited the men to join in, which was lucky for me. There was more food there than I could have imagined, and although I didn't quite get one of each, what I had was excellent.

Moral of the story: Good things happen when we forget about what we need to do and help each other. I feel like we forget this. We have so many distractions in our lives; work, trying to find work, computers, the price of gas, classes, that douche bag that cut you off this morning, that we forget that cooperation, service, and love are what matters most.

So let's take a page from small town life's book and slow down. Smell the roses and pay attention to what's going on around you; someone might need your help.

I thought I should mention that I'm well again. I got over whatever was wrong with me a few days ago. Thank you to everyone who had ideas. You're kindness and of course, what you told me to do, has healed me.

I've also been noticing more and more people spreading the word. I watch where traffic to the blog is coming from, and it's always great to see message boards and blogs telling people to pay attention to what's being written here. Thank you so much to those of you who tell other people. I've said it a hundred times, but I really do mean it when I say that it makes all the difference to me.