A fellow stopped at a rural gas station and, after filling his tank, paid the bill and bought a soft drink. As he stood by his car to drink his cola, he watched a couple of men working along the roadside.

One man would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on. The other man came along behind and filled in the hole. While one was digging a new hole, the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old. The men worked right past the fellow with the soft drink and went on down the road.

I cant stand this, said the man, tossing the can in a trash container and heading down the road toward the men.

Hold it, hold it, he said to the men. Can you tell me whats going on here with this digging?

Well, we work for the county, one of the men said.

But one of you is digging a hole and the other fills it up. Youre not accomplishing anything. Arent you wasting the countys money?

You dont understand, mister, one of the men said, leaning on his shovel and wiping his brow. Normally theres three of us … me, Rodney and Mike. I dig the hole, Rodney sticks in the tree and Mike here puts the dirt back. Now, just because Rodneys sick, that dont mean that Mike and me cant work and earn our pay.