Mowing the Lawn

Today, I finally got around to mowing my lawn. A chore that is daunting to anyone at the best of times, for me it is a particular challenge despite its relative small size. Not only is it a steep slope, but with only 3 wheels on my electric lawn mower, it becomes quite the workout when weeks of heavy rain and no days off (except for being away in the Okanagan - see "A Postcard from Penticton") when said lawn has grown to the point you could loose a small child in it. Well, maybe not that bad, but you could certainly loose a small kitten or a chihuahua in it.

The urgency to get the lawn under control was not the only reason I mowed the lawn today. Last night, I had a dream that my great-grandfather mowed "my" lawn for me. (As with dream world, it was "my lawn" but looked nothing like my actual lawn. Also, my great-grandfathers all passed away long before I was born, so it is unusual that I knew it was my mother's mother's father to be specific). In the dream, I got ready to do the chore as I had planned only to find out from my mum that my great-grandfather had woken early to get it done. I was disappointed because not only had my procrastination caused an elderly man to do some manual labour, but also that someone else had completed the task I had planned on doing.

Seeing the lawn neat, trim, and nary a hiding spot for a chihuahua, I approached my great-grandfather and told him he needn't have mowed the lawn as I was going to do it later that day. His response was, word for word, "do you think an Olympic athelete waits until later in the day? Why put off for later what can be done now?"

Prophetic words from generations passed to say the least! Yet, as with any as-seen-on-TV knife set, but wait, there's more. Wise as these words are, what is my response to my great-grandfather: "You mean like my writing?"

Waking early on my day off, I am happy to say that the lawn is neatly mowed, the garden is de-weeded, seeds are planted, and the latest entry to this blog is complete. Indeed, why put off to tomorrow what can be done today; any wise grandparent or olympic athelete can tell you that.