CHORES, THE BASIC UNITS OF LIFE
By Lifelong Student
NEVER THOUGHTS…
Have you ever been somewhere or someplace and thought I never thought I’d be here. Years ago I created my Gmail account and added the numbers 64 at the end. I always liked the Beatles tune “When I’m 64.” I thought it was way out in the future doubtful that that day would ever arrive. Never did I think I’d be 64! No never. Never did I think I’d be home collecting a pension with the freedom to convey my thoughts.
To get here, Neverland, the road was rather long. It’s funny how time works or rather our perception of time. I recall vividly how long some of the work days were and how fast the weekends seem to go. The days do seem to zoom by now… all of them. I digress. Never thoughts… Never did I think I would enjoy traveling, I like being home, until I visited Italy. Awesome!
Like many people, I’ve worked most of my adult life. I started mowing the front lawn about as soon as I could push the mower, yes a push mower. 100% human powered. It was a Saturday chore. The lawn was in the front of the house. It wasn’t a large lawn, a track home in a modest neighborhood. I believe at some point I talked my dad into parting with $0.10 per week as compensation for the task. Under that arrangement he felt the need to inspect my work.
During my apprenticeship, I had learned to cut in even rows and to overlap the previous row just a bit. A little overlap was necessary otherwise there would be a narrow strip of uncut grass. Can’t have that, what would the neighbors think! At first mowing the lawn was kinda fun, but as soon as it became a chore I thought why not try to minimize the overlap and thereby speed up the process of getting the job done. After all, there was serious Saturday goofing off to do and neighborhood pals to goof off with.
Occasionally I would not overlap enough and leave a strip of taller one-week- old grass growth. At inspection time, since I was being paid for my effort, my father considered it necessary to inspect my work. It seems mechanical engineers have a penchant for being critical, pointing out a few of my strips. At this point I had already put the mower away. I’m sure I tried to get him to agree that I could get those strips next Saturday, but to no avail. I had to drag the mower out of the garage and get the missing strip or strips. And he said to me, “If you are going to do something, to do it well.”
Beginning that next week, I took more time and overlapped more, trying not to leave any blades uncut. I also called the “inspector” out of the house while the mower was still on the front lawn. Saves a trip to the garage. I didn’t realize it at the time but I suppose I was learning to be more efficient. Don’t put the tools away until the job is finished, something like that. I feel like he always found something that I missed. Seems like he was rarely happy unless he found something to criticize. Little did I know I’d have many work supervisors like my dad, taking criticism to an art form.
Life is about doing things well, and people will be critical of your work whether justified or not, but the front lawn will look nice. And another happy note, chances are good that you will reach a Social Security eligible age even though you never thought you’d be 64 or even 50. And don’t worry, that $0.10 eventually went to $0.25.
