My Lawnmower Retired and Forgot to Tell Me About It

One of the things I’ve most enjoyed (seriously) about our home here in Colorado is our yard.  My kids get to play on soft, green grass, and it’s just a good-sized yard for our home and our needs.  But my partner in yard maintenance is a grump at best.  I have the crankiest lawnmower.  I’m thinking that it’s just endemic to the species that all lawnmowers have problems with their owners.  Mine is terrible to start, and the auto-drive feature (which I didn’t know about for the first year or so of our working relationship) is broken now, but this week, it finally came to a head.

It just wouldn’t start.  I tried every trick in the book – even calling over my neighbor to give it a pull – but that thing would not get back on the job.  I think my lawnmower has finally hit 65, cashed in the 401(k), and hung it all up on the wall.  Great.  Now what?

Both of my next door neighbors use an old-fashioned “push” mower: no engine, no gasoline, just a handle for pushing and a series of blades for chopping.  They both have very modest-sized yards, so the extra effort for a push mower works well for their needs.  I borrowed my neighbor’s push mower this past Saturday when I couldn’t start my apparently- (and newly-) retired mower, adjusted the setting, and went to work.

I really enjoyed it.  I’ve actually always enjoyed yard work because it’s good time to think, pray, and settle into a task which isn’t remotely connected to my daily vocation.  When I’m mowing my yard (and edging, and blowing, and cleaning up anything else that needs attention), I feel a lot of peace.  I felt even more peace as I used the push mower.  I enjoyed the quiet, soft whirrrr of the blades and took my time as I mowed, making sure each area was well-covered.  It took a lot more time to mow this way, but I certainly enjoyed it more.

How often do we get to simplify something that's already simple?  The task of caring for my yard isn't rocket science (although I'll be the first to admit that my work after running over and breaking one of my sprinkler heads starts to feel a lot like surgery), and adding the push mower to the mix isn't a time saver.  But it was a better experience: more peaceful, more contemplative, and way less noisy. I’m glad that this time around, God gave me the gift of a deeply satisfying morning in my yard, taking more time but enjoying peace to a greater degree than ever before.  Wendell Berry would be proud.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis