Like most wannabe writers I usually try and hide behind my words to distance you the reader, from me, the real author. Most things I write are intentionally ideas and thoughts that are impersonal, abstract or absurd. This is a rare delve into my personal life. Enjoy it because it won’t happen that often.
Mowing Ms Wyand’s
Posted by on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 in - 7 comments
When I was a kid living on my parents resort I used to mow the lawn. We had an awesomely huge lawn tractor (or maybe it was a small farm tractor) and for a 12-13 year old kid it was the next step down from driving the family car. We needed that lawn tractor; we had a six acre lawn to mow. A complete mowing from start to finish would take approximately six hours.
One day my father took me aside and told me that I had to mow another lawn just down our country lane. There was an old lady who lived in a cottage during the summer who lost her regular lawn mowers, was a little ostracized from her family, and needed a little help. Being the snotty brat that I was I hated the idea and didn’t want to do it. Six hours of mowing the lawn was enough for me. Luckily for me I didn’t have much say in my life at that time.
So off we went to Ms Wyand’s old cottage. My father introduced me to an astonishingly white haired, frail old woman. She agreed to pay me a few dollars for my efforts and then instructed me on all of the other things besides mowing I had to do. Taking our her garbage, planting her flowers, trimming her trees, planting her trees, installing her clothesline, washing her car, she wanted me to do it all. And I did it all. Not out of pity or compassion, but out of the instruction of my father.
I ended up helping Ms Wyand for four or five years. I’d mow her lawn and do her chores once or twice a week for the entire summer. Then I stopped. I grew up. I got a job. I got an apartment. I got a girlfriend. My summers consisted of eating mussels and enjoying a round of golf, not mowing Ms Wyands. I completely forgot about her.
My dad didn’t forget though. Once or twice a week he’d go mow Ms Wyand’s and take out her trash. I’m pretty sure he didn’t do it because his father told him to. I also am suspicious that he didn’t do it for the money.
Yesterday evening I came out to the resort to find my dad mowing. I volunteered to take the reigns to give him a break (side note: there is nothing better to clear your mind than riding a nice lawn mower for a couple of hours). He pointed out which areas hadn’t been mowed yet and then said “after that we still need to do Ms Wyand’s”. I asked if she had moved to the cottage yet for the summer. Dad looked a little shocked and told me that she hadn’t been out in over three years. She has been and is very sick and in an old folks home.
As I mowed beside her now deserted cottage I began to truly understand why my father had made me help her out. Why it’s always been a good thing to help an old lady cross the road. Why we need to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
Comments
Stephen DesRoches - June 4, 2003 12:29 pm
"side note: there is nothing better to clear your mind than riding a nice lawn mower for a couple of hours"
Growing up with a backyard that took over an hour to cut, I couldn't agree with this more.
Alan - June 4, 2003 12:54 pm
I earned my money off and on from age 15 to 23 cutting grass and loved the time spent mowing and thinking. I don't know why it is so apt for thinking. I recall considering both Philemon and Boethius while on a drive-on as well as wondering how I could get to be the gardener to the Go-Gos.
Rob MacD - June 4, 2003 3:05 pm
I'd say the mind-clearing attributes of lawn cutting are diminished dramatically when one is pushing a mower, rather than riding one. I dream of the chance to ride-on a lawn mower, and think about things. It takes me 2+ hours of constant walking to push-mow my lawn, complete with 3 hilly ditches and such. Or, it takes me $20 to pay a local kid to mow my lawn. My son is 9. A thin 9. Too thin to take on such a task. Isn't he?
Erik - June 4, 2003 8:32 pm
Wow, that is a great post and it hits home. My stepfather owned his own landscaping business and I made money in the summer during high school by working for him. Every Monday we'd go mow his elderly neighbor's (from before he and my mom got married and moved into their own place) property for them. In the fall we'd do leaf cleanup and always for free.
Just like you, at the time I never understood why he choose to take a 2 hour block (it was a huge lawn, even with professional mowers) out of his week and forgo the $200+ that lawn was worth if paid to be mowed. Now after reading that post, for the first time I understand.
Thank you,
Erik
Rob Paterson - June 4, 2003 9:40 pm
I wonder if anyone will pay attention to me when I am very old. Maybe if we pay attention to others, we might have a chance of this happening for us. I don't mean that someone will pay us back directly but energetically. I have this odd feeling that what we do does affect us. If we care then others may care about us.
I would also like to add as a guy who has to mow for upto 8 hours a week, on a ride on, that it is a great meditation
Adam Kalsey - June 10, 2003 2:35 am
My previous house was on a corner. Being on the corner meant that the fron lawn of the house behind us connected to our side yard. I didn't really know the neighbors. I knew they were older and kept to themselves. In the three years that I lived there I saw them only once.
As I was cleaning up the leaves from the oak trees that lined out street, I noticed that the neighbor's yard hadn't been cleaned in a couple of weeks. As I finished cleaning up the leaves for them a car pulled up and their daughter got out and asked what was going on. I explained that I lived next door and was just cleaning the leaves up. She nearly broke down in tears.
Apparentlty the neighbors had been sick and couldn't take care of their yard.
Wayne - June 11, 2003 8:23 pm
I can't claim to have been the originator of the idea...I read it somewhere that when someone you know is having hard times, sometimes a simple act like cutting their grass can mean alot more then words. According to the article, the trick is to do it, but not reveal who donnit. So after my neighbour died of cancer, I snuck over one afternoon during the bad week and cut their grass. It did feel good to have done it...and to do so undetected....probably better then had I been discovered.
2 weeks later, the late neighbours wife thanked me, telling me the neighbour across the street saw me do it.
That was my favourite neighbourhood, and I hated to leave.