Lawnmowing…

I mowed my lawn again today. Sometimes when I mow I get into an almost trancelike state where I meditate and solve problems. I don’t know why. I guess it’s the feeling of power I have when I’m pushing that three and half horse power engine around the yard sending huge amounts of grass, weeds, flowers, clothespins, toys, and bugs flying in all directions. Usually back into my face.Nonetheless, mowing has been a time for me to be by myself and meditate since I was a young boy. I would go out and mow my third of the lawn (I have two brothers) and think great thoughts.For example, it was when mowing that I figured out how to make my third look bigger and yet be smaller than the other thirds, or how to give deceptive perception to yard space.I also learned that if a choke sticks on a lawn mower engine you can put a twig in it to hold it open. That worked very well until the fire.That was before video cameras. Otherwise you’d have seen me jumping around a burning lawnmower, pulling off my shirt and beating a poor defenseless mower into submission with it. I really liked that shirt.Oh, over the years I’ve written letters, composed speeches, made phone calls and discovered the cure for many human ills while mowing. Unfortunately, as soon as the grass is mowed, the mower stuck back in it’s spot, and the grass shaken out of my shoes I tend to forget all I my lofty thoughts.Now that I’m older, and the yard is bigger, I have a rider. It has twelve horses under its shiny red hood. But it’s still the same old mowing that I do. I carefully watch where I’m going and am often surprised by the occasional rock or stick, neighborhood cat droppings, discarded cans, plastic grocery sacks or brand new garden hoses that fly out the discharge side.The reason they do is that when I’m mowing I’m deep in thought. Thinking on incredibly important issues. Such things one might see on CNN or The Learning Channel.Not long ago, I was wondering where that little grass snake went when he came flying out the side of the mower. It was his bounce that got my attention. He seemed to be aiming for my face. We have video cameras now, but somehow my dismount from that moving rider was missed.After I calmed down, had a cool drink, and rescued the rider from the neighbor’s yard, I went back to work. I decided that if we could get world leaders to take turns push-mowing a big yard we might have world peace. They could mow and think on how to solve their differences.Then again, it might just lead to more conflicts. I suppose one would figure out deceptive perception and make it look like he mowed more but didn’t, then the others would figure it out while they were mowing and then… I guess I need to mow more on that one.