Random Thoughts from a Random Memory

By Edward Master

The last yard I mowed was at a rental property in Grove City. That’s back now a few years and I don’t miss it one bit. Quite frankly, I’ve mowed enough lawns for a lifetime.

The short story is I have spent a lifetime mowing lawns, I started young. Fortunately, I missed the era of push, no-power mowers. I started with gasoline-driven motor boys. One tug and away I went. Only some times, one mighty tug didn’t quite due the trick.

One fellow named Switzer, his shop was between Lamartine and Knox just east of Lamartine, helped keep my mower purring like a kitten. Well, running.

At least once per summer, we went to the shop. Usually, fortunately, just for a couple of days.

I think once I heard I mowed between three and four acres of lawn in Turkey City. It seemed like I’d finish up and have to start all over again. But, I exaggerate a little. For many years, however, I walked it. My brother Jack entered the U.S. Navy in 1963, and so it was up to me to mow. Of course, that also included trimming around the house by hand with sickles and clippers. About once per season, there was some extended high grass/weeds involved along the way.

The mowing task was okay when I first began the job until Dad bought the field next door and the 3 to 4 acres became the reality. The push, push, push became ancient news when my younger sisters got old enough to mow. I graduated college and moved away to teach school. Suddenly, a riding mower appeared. Voila! Other than trimming around the house, the walking disappeared.

The yard in Glassboro, NJ, was fairly simple: some pine trees in the back and a few bushes; it was flat. I was back to pushing power though. I used the landlord’s mower in Indiana, PA. In Grove City, I pushed mine again. Nothing special except I was trimming bushes again.

I didn’t have to mow at our last rental. I didn’t miss it. I may have given my mower to my brother-in-law. No sentiment here.

A final shout-out to Joe Rapp for winning the D-9 golf title. Joe’s inheriting a few golf genes from his Mom, Marron’s side of the family. A number of her uncles were the quality duffer. Now it’s on to football playoffs.

How about those Steelers defeating Indianapolis? What gives? I wouldn’t have made that pick in a million!