#PauloPenella & the Story of the Leaning Tree / #socialresponsibility #youth #duty #honor #country #Greenwich #Connecticut
Paulo had a cane and walked slowly. As I exited the doors he simply stared at me. I could tell he wanted to speak with me. His eyes told me to come over to him and then his arm waived me over. He had as of yet to speak with his mouth. A calm-looking man of few words who paced himself in the few steps he took as I walked over to him. Paulo, of Italian heritage with a U.S. Army cap picked up his cane and pointed it at an aged tree leaning at a 15 degree angle to one side. "Rats eat this tree, " he said to me. "Hi, sir! Ok. Let me see. Show me." "Look!" He pointed with his cane again as we approached the tree stepping off the asphalt driveway. We ambled into the thicket of dead leaves and dry branches. Again, he lifted his cane, this time poking the tree in its rotten belly. "Rats have eaten it up and it will fall." He now pointed to the preschool labeled 25 Valley Drive. I asked him if he knew who I was. He said nothing to that. ...