So... That's How That's Done

I stood and watched the young man work his way towards me as I stood on the levee at the end of the flooded rice field. He was so into his work that he hadn't noticed me standing there. I watched as he reached for each "mud bug" pot, pulling it out of the water, shaking the leaves loose then dumping it's bounty into a large bucket that lay beside him in the small boat...

What I thought was a radio turned out to be actually him, singing a Cajun Zydeco song at the top of his lungs. The little outboard engine behind him gave him a rhythm to follow and his voice worked with it's beat.

It wasn't until he looked up to prepare for the turn at the end of the row did he see me there. Without missing a chord he smiled and waved to me and while still holding the last pot in that row in the other hand he steered the little boat with his foot pedals to line up for the next row of traps.

The chugging of the motor and his motions never changed as he slipped the empty pot beside the first pot in the new row and scooped up the new one in a single motion. There was a pause in his voice and a new song was started but with just as much gusto and love of singing as the last.

He never looked back at me, just continued on his way... Just as I'm certain his father, grandfather had done over the years probably on this same field. I realized then that there some things that will never change in these peoples way of living. The love of the land, the love of music, and the love of being part of all of it.

Traditions.... That's what makes a Culture, a Lifestyle, a way of enjoying living.

So... I walked away from there saying "So... that's how that's done."

And I learned something new that day or maybe more then one.

You need to learn something new each day... It doesn't have to be Monumental nor World Changing. Sometimes it's something good about our fellow man. Sometimes it's something bad... Just try and take what you've learned and apply it towards trying to make yourself a better man.

Johnny