No, I didn’t stuff 62 thirty-nine gallon bags with leaves in one day. This is actually two months of bagging leaves. Yesterday I gathered them from their various locations and dragged them to the curb where the Henrico Department of Leaf Removal has promised to take them off my hands. Actually, I dragged 40 of them to the curb, then added another 22 that I stuffed full yesterday. Although I am paying the price this morning, doing this type of knuckle dragging work is about as satisfying as anything in my life. Why? It’s complicated.
I handle money for a living, a decidedly non-knuckle dragging occupation. When I come home from work and Pam asks me about my day sometimes its hard to give her a direct answer—“Well, I had an annual review with the Blogdonovich’s who informed me that their retirement date has changed, so I’m going to have to rework their portfolio, blah, blah, blah...” But, when I work in my yard, I don’t have to wonder whether or not I’ve done any good at the end of the day. I don’t even have to say anything, all I have to do is point to that giant pile of bags...That’s what I did today! There is concrete, undeniable evidence of my labor.
It all started when I was a kid. Dad gave me the job of cutting the grass and getting up leaves and everything else that had anything to do with the yard when I was eleven years old. He made a big dramatic deal of it..Son, this is a big job, a big and important responsibility I’m giving you. Don’t let me down! I complained at first, pointing out the salient point that I knew not one single other eleven year old who was so employed. Dad’s response was something along the lines of, And isn’t that a shame? There was no arguing with the man. But I soon discovered that I actually liked the job. In a weird way it was...fun. Still is.
One key difference between then and now is the level of my physical decrepitude. I can still do the work, still enjoy doing the work. But, I have to pace myself, and even then I wake up the morning after a day like yesterday feeling as if I have been the loser in a prize fight.
...but just look at those bags. Is that not the most beautiful sight?
you know if you just got a chain saw and cut down all the trees in your surrounding area, you wouldn't be posting this picture.
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