Old Man with a Palm Branch

An old man came asking for work bent, worn out, and almost deaf, and I gave it to him clearing pathways with the group. Not expecting much, I stopped and watched him one day. With swift strokes up, down, and across his machete with a file taking certain care to the sharpness he didn’t pause long. Still I watched him. Getting up he moved with the rest, as fast as the rest though 20 years their senior, at least. I walked off to check on the cabins, too much work to get done before the season starts. I found they hadn’t made the tables like I asked, and wouldn’t get them in time. That’s the way it goes, they don’t tell you until you ask specifically hoping you will forget, and they won’t have to do it. Cursing I walked along the path, on my way to lunch, where I passed him still working away, and told him it was time to stop. I had to lean close and yell into his ear, but finally he understood. The others had gone and still he worked on. I think I’ll keep him on, I thought, and maybe get rid of one of those younger ones who can’t keep up with this old man.
Today, well into the first week, I saw him again as I was drinking my 3rd cup of coffee, the fishermen gone and waiting for the small generator to be turned on so I could get back to work. He was sweeping the pathway with a palm branch. We had a leaf blower, but the older ones stick with what they know, as long as it gets the job done, I thought, and chuckled at the different things we had tried to bring in without success. The lawn mower they liked, but the professional one they hated, it moved too fast they said. The younger ones like the leaf blower, but then one day you would see an old one slowly sweeping with a palm branch. It just blows them everywhere they would say. No wonder they looked at me with such curiosity when I rode by on my ecorider, and the kids usually running after me if they weren’t in school.