Cutting the grass: My favourite thing about summer.

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/06/2011 (4895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The lakes, the festivals, the patios… all great features of summer in Manitoba. While a certain lake or one of a handful of festivals could easily end up taking top spot as Manitoba’s most iconic summer “thing”, from this point forward I would like the following activity to be considered. Mowing the lawn. Yes. Cutting the grass. I’m on the panel that will decide the final list that goes to a vote… and I can guarantee you I will be throwing my support behind grass cutting.

I grew up in Cooks Creek, Manitoba. We had plenty of grass to cut. A yard on the farm is not a yard in St. Boniface. I also grew up without a riding lawn mower. We pushed. And walked. To mow the entire lawn at my home would take around 5 hours. Then, two days later… you’d do it all again. On top of my own lawn, I cut grass at various houses for miles around for a “living”. (People in the country didn’t pay much for having their grass cut. Reason being was that if they were paying someone to cut their grass, it meant that they were too old to do it themselves. The rural elderly do not part with large sums of money. Ever.) For some that may seem like a real chore, but I think it honestly changed my life. Cutting the grass is the most peaceful, satisfying, and fruitful activity summer has to offer. There are no distractions, just the soothing hum of the mower and your thoughts. Every great idea I’ve ever come up with in my life came while cutting the grass. It’s where tough life decisions are pondered. Where you dream of the future. Where you remember the name of that song you couldn’t think of the other day, and where, when you’re 14 and in your first band, you come up with what you determine to be the greatest song ever written.

These days, finding moments totally free of distraction are rare. Even when you’re not working and just chilling out at home… you’ve got your laptop open, you’re logged into Facebook and Twitter, your Blackberry keeps beeping and for some reason there is no way we won’t check it. The TV is always on. It’s relentless. And it distracts you from all the great solitary thinking, planning, and dreaming time you get while cutting the grass.

On top of all that, there is the satisfaction of seeing a freshly cut lawn. Not all jobs come with the added bonus of actually SEEING what you have accomplished. Not only do I love mowing the lawn, I love mowing the lawn well. Perfectly. It looks exceptional, and is very satisfying. It also meant, 20 years ago, time to play. Time to take that feeling of freedom and inspiration built up while mowing and put it into action.

What is your favourite thing about summer in Manitoba? www.winnipegfreepress.com/ace