Grass 101

 

Nineteen thousand, three hundred, fifty eight days. That translates to 53 years. To some it may sound old, to others I may seem like a babe in the woods. Either way… I’ve racked up a few numbers here and there.

And in all those days, I’ve done a lot of work. Anything and everything. I’m never really choosy about the work I do. But today, was epic.

Summer time in Ohio means cutting grass. That’s what we do here. From the time I was a little rat, I was cutting grass. We used to have one of those manual push mowers, with the blades that spin around with the wheels when you move forward, or back. It wasn’t much fun using that thing, especially when you were eight, and you weighed about 50 pounds.

I graduated eventually to the motorized push mower. We had some old beater thing, that was all banged up. It looked like we found it in some scrap yard, or worse. But, at least you could pull the rip cord, and the motor would drive the blade. I think the family rule was that your age had to be in double digits before you could cut the grass with that little jalopy. So at ten, I received the high honors.

Since that time, that is the only way I have cut grass. Walking behind a mower. I even worked that way, here at our house, cutting our very hilly house surroundings. For a few years. Until one day, I walked in the kitchen… told Mary I wasn’t feeling to good… and passed out from the heat. Since that time, we hire it out.

But tonight. I rode. You see… last week I bought my first ever riding mower. And tonight I finally got on that thing.

All these years, I would be driving down the road. Any road. And I would see someone on their riding mower. I admired those people and wondered what it would be like…. to someday… somehow…. get on a Snapper and go.  Throwing my cares and my clippings to the wind.  Some people looked happy, content, in the zone. Others looked like they were being tortured. And on certain occasions, the way some of them dressed… it appeared they were trying to torture the rest of us.

Regardless. Tonight was my night. I felt like Maria in West Side Story… spinning around… “something special is going to happen tonight…”

I smiled as I drove. I waved to anyone who was watching… which amounted to five goats, 21 chickens, and two geese. Albeit, Izzy… our youngest girl goat…. passed out twice for fear of the noise.

Tonight, I shall rest well.  Because.  Now I know. Another incredible milestone in my life. A night out on the barnyard lawn. Just me, and the ride.

 

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“A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.” 
― Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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“Even I never dreamed of Magic like this!” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

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“The key to a wonderful life is to never stop wandering into wonder.” 
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun
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