With a forlorn look on his face, my husband said, “The lawnmower is dead. It really died this time and I can’t fix it. The connecting rod broke.”
I pretended like “connecting rod” meant something to me, and nodded wisely. “Oh,” I replied. “Then, don’t mow the lawn.” It seemed like a simple enough solution to me.
That wouldn’t do for him, because we are expecting company this evening. He wanted the yard to look spiffy, so they would think he’s always got it looking good. In truth, I’ve been busily trying to spiff the inside of the house so I could fool the company into thinking I’m always a good housekeeper. I understood his agitation, but tried to allay it. I didn’t want him to have the “lawnmower blues.”
As he got more frustrated and angry at the hapless lawnmower, since he really doesn’t have time to go buy a new one today, I said, “Wait a doggone minute … don’t take it out on the lawnmower. How long have you had it?”
“Fifteen years,” he answered.
“And, how much have you paid to maintain it during these fifteen years?” I asked.
“Including new blades,” he said, “maybe $100.”
“And” I drawled, “How much did you pay for it?” That, my friends, was the trick question, because I knew the answer: He dug the darned thing out of a trash can and re-worked it. He didn’t pay a penny for it!
He shrugged and looked sheepish.
“Well,” I said. “Then, I think that lawnmower deserves a good burial. And, I think that the Universe is telling you not to bother mowing the lawn!”
See how easy it is to turn a situation around? You can look at the bright side, and be optimistic. You just have to “go with the flow.”
Besides that, if he doesn’t waste time mowing the lawn, he can help me vacuum cat hair! I love that old lawnmower!
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That kind of logic works like a charm for me too, Shelly!
Some days, Jeni, it’s the only way to deal with the stuff life throws at you!
A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. — James Dent
taken from one of my pre-mullet day posts- enjoy the time off- prop his feet up on it-
of course after he vacuums.
When I shared your quote with my husband, ridgely, he was actually able to smile! However, he stopped smiling when I handed him the vacuum cleaner ….
Sometimes you just have to get a different perspective. My lawnmower isn’t broken, but with our steady stream of triple digit highs, combined with lack of rain, my lawn is. It all works out in the end.
I wish our lawn would quit growing. I thought I’d be smart and put in flower beds so we didn’t have to mow. I forgot, however, that we would have to weed
We just bought a new lawn mower. When we bought this house in March of 2009, we didn’t own one. I hired a local neighbor gal to come over with her Mom’s mower and cut the grass. I paid her, of course, bgut when the end of the season sales flyer came to my door, I bought one.
Mrs. Spadoman does a great job with it. What, did you think I cut the lawn? I subscribe to that theory you have, Shelly. “Don’t mow the lawn.”
Besides, if i ever got invited ober to your place, I’d never be fooled into thinking your place was spiffy. I’ve seen pictures of the two of you smoking cigars!. Since I like the perceived lazy life of a cigar smoker, (a cigarette is finished in minutes, a cigar can last an hour or more), I understand what’s important and what’s not.
Peace.
By the way, we get cold weather and snow up here in Wisconsin. The grass stops growin’ fer a spell. Does the grass grow all year down there?
Our “grass” (in the back forty) dies out in late August. It’s really just weeds, but it does have to be mowed (mosquitoes and critters will overtake us if we don’t). Out front, the lawn dies out for winter, but it really must be tended. We have neighbors who will actually leave anonymous ugly notes in your mailbox if you don’t have a well kept yard. Wish I could find out who it was. Not that I’d retaliate, but I’d love to dream about it
That’s my kinda “Only The Good” logic, Shelly! If I got 15 years out of any appliance, tool, whatever, I’d be happy. I swear, I get about 4 years out of anything. Except my coffee maker. I seem to be on a 6 month cycle with those. Perhaps I should ease up on my caffeine
Nahh. Don’t ease up on caffeine … think of the headaches you would get! Instead, just get one of those French presses. Coffee is better from those, anyway
I loved my old lawn mower, too, but it is because that is how I met my husband. I had a lawn mower that was missing a bolt that held the handle upright. The handle kept falling down, and made it difficult to mow the lawn. So, one day I got really frustrated with it. I took the bolt from the other side of the handle, went to the hardware store to buy a new one to replace the one that was missing. The cute guy who waited on me at the hardware store got me a new one really quick.
I went home and finished cutting the grass, but I couldn’t get that cute guy out of my head. When I got through with the grass, I went inside and called the hardware store. I asked them if the guy who looked like “blah blah blah” was married, and they said no. So, I said, “I am the the lady who came in to buy a bolt for my lawn mower today. Give him my phone number and ask him to give me a call.” and he did. 19 years ago. I cried when we sold that lawnmower!
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