The Ever-Present Lawn Question - Time Out #211

Almost all of us face this incredibly important decision many times in our adult lives.

To mow or not to mow,now that IS the question?

This lawn mowing question we usually present to our parents when we are pre-teenagers? At that time in our young lives, we are caught up with all our 'grown-up' ideas, and, as little people, we think we are fully capable of mowing our family's yard. Usually, with dad or mom's assistance, the old, faithful, power mower is pulled out of the garage or shed, and is fired up. Throughout this preliminary process, our excitement level builds higher and higher. Finally, after our parent adjusts the mowing height, and they mow a few strips, they then give us their permission to take over, while they carefully monitor our progress, and continually praise our efforts. The rush of this accomplishment while we are in the 10-12 age range, almost (?) tops the excitement of going to an amusement park for a day of thrills!

Rolling forward, we are now teenagers, and mowing is becoming somewhat routine for us, whether it is weekly, biweekly or some other fixed interval. Usually, our parents pay us for this chore, so we learn some responsibility, too, along with earning some of our own money. A few of us, like our youngest "child", Robbie, 36, even parlayed it into his regular summer job, aka "Robbie's Lawncare Service". He was an excellent small businessperson in those days of yesteryear, and he shined, during his working days back then, gaining lots of early-life self-satisfaction.

Now, we arrive at adulthood, living in our own/rented structure, and it has a lawn we must mow. Here's where the absolute fun (?) and concentration (?) begin, dear readers of Our Town and far beyond.

Assuming you didn't have an existing lawnmower to bring to your new digs, and its accompanying lawn, you have to purchase a machine. Lots of options out there for sure. You might borrow one (not likely; you could easily wear out the owner's friendship), or more realistically, purchase a mower. Now, the decision is a new one or used one? Most folks choose a new one, since you don't want to risk buying someone else's mechanical problems? More decisions are plenty--- self-propelled wheels or not; gas, battery, electric or human push; 2-cycle engine or a 4-cycle engine; wide cut or narrow cut;, self-mulching or not; side discharge or rear discharge, ride or non-ride, etc., etc., etc.? Of course, money spent, possibly lots of it, is prominent in your full decision-making process here.

Remember, dear hearts, life is FULL of decisions?

So, once you have acquired your machine, now you have the on-going responsibilities to continually maintain this mechanical device. Of what things you ask........how about gas, oil, extension cords, constantly sharpening the blade, etc., etc., etc.? You can't simply place your purchase on auto pilot, and expect it to consistently work well after each mowing. Therefore, you must spend lots of time and money, constantly maintaining your mowing equipment.

Speaking of equipment, to do the job absolutely correctly, you ALSO need a weed eater/edger, blower, broom, and lots of lawn clipping containers in order to tote away the loose cuttings each time. Wow!

We all appreciate the energy exerted (i.e., exercise) each and every time we go outside our nest-of-rest, and tackle the routine chore of mowing our lawn.

Or..........we might avoid the entire ordeal, and hire someone to do it?

No homeowner would really want to miss all that fun,........ would they???