Equipment Failure
I just got finished with one of my favorite rites of summer.....out on the deck early in the morning watering my plants which are finally looking robust. No better way to start the day! Finally, it is just as it used to be....before we had an 'equipment failure'.
For the past two or three years....I have been fighting with a hose that leaked, and a sprayer that absolutely had a mind of its own. But, you know the drill: hate to spend the money, these do work--you just have to figure out how to work with them in their peculiarities--maybe when they go on sale at the end of the season--and on and on. Finally, I took the matter into my own hands....marched down to the local store and purchased a new hose and a new nozzle. I felt so accomplished!
Then I remember, we have been down this road before--enter--the MOWER!
We live in a mostly rural area and are blessed with about six acres. Of those, we mow about two acres...around trees, gardens, a basketball court and the 'natural prairie' that my husband has tastefully inter-spaced on our property. Believe it or not--and our children can verify--we used to do the mowing with two push mowers. What a job. Then one day, it was finally time to invest in a ZTR mower. Suddenly, the job that used to take up to six hours was down to less than two. Along with that....my husband began to mow the lawn. Go figure.
After about three or so years, the rear tire started going flat. I am ashamed to report that for more then four years each and every time we wanted to mow, the tire had to be aired. Of course, that did afford Randy the opportunity to 'invest' in a major air compressor. Which, in turn, meant not replacing the tire because in his mind the air compressor would have no reason to be taking up space in our garage. Or, perhaps he was thinking that his wife would appreciate that necessary addition to our already tight garage space if she got the opportunity to use it more often. Use it we did.
Toward the end of our little adventure, the tire would have to be aired at the beginning of the job, and in the middle and, again, near the end. I did this for several weeks. Our friends had great fun asking whether or not the tire had been fixed yet. Okay. Enough! I don't exactly remember the little 'sit down' the two of us had about this....but the next day, Randy headed to the garden shop and came home with.....a brand new tire.
I hardly new what to do with myself. This was nirvana. Now, when I would mow all that was needed was to turn the key and go. What a feeling! As I pondered the absolute enjoyment of being out mowing, my thoughts turned to exactly why this took so long. Are we that hard headed? (For those of you who know us--don't answer!) Was it really worth the literal years of aggravation? In many ways, the whole process before the new tire had become 'normal' to us.
Funny. It is so easy for us to accept the things that are wrong with our lives. All those small missteps that need to be addressed but we get 'busy'. Perhaps this explains why it is so easy to accept the degradation that has become 'the norm' in our culture. It has happened, bit by bit--little by little. Most times we hear something on the news that shocks our senses...but we quickly try and get back to 'normal' in our own lives so as not to allow our world to be rocked.
For the past two or three years....I have been fighting with a hose that leaked, and a sprayer that absolutely had a mind of its own. But, you know the drill: hate to spend the money, these do work--you just have to figure out how to work with them in their peculiarities--maybe when they go on sale at the end of the season--and on and on. Finally, I took the matter into my own hands....marched down to the local store and purchased a new hose and a new nozzle. I felt so accomplished!
Then I remember, we have been down this road before--enter--the MOWER!
We live in a mostly rural area and are blessed with about six acres. Of those, we mow about two acres...around trees, gardens, a basketball court and the 'natural prairie' that my husband has tastefully inter-spaced on our property. Believe it or not--and our children can verify--we used to do the mowing with two push mowers. What a job. Then one day, it was finally time to invest in a ZTR mower. Suddenly, the job that used to take up to six hours was down to less than two. Along with that....my husband began to mow the lawn. Go figure.
After about three or so years, the rear tire started going flat. I am ashamed to report that for more then four years each and every time we wanted to mow, the tire had to be aired. Of course, that did afford Randy the opportunity to 'invest' in a major air compressor. Which, in turn, meant not replacing the tire because in his mind the air compressor would have no reason to be taking up space in our garage. Or, perhaps he was thinking that his wife would appreciate that necessary addition to our already tight garage space if she got the opportunity to use it more often. Use it we did.
Toward the end of our little adventure, the tire would have to be aired at the beginning of the job, and in the middle and, again, near the end. I did this for several weeks. Our friends had great fun asking whether or not the tire had been fixed yet. Okay. Enough! I don't exactly remember the little 'sit down' the two of us had about this....but the next day, Randy headed to the garden shop and came home with.....a brand new tire.
I hardly new what to do with myself. This was nirvana. Now, when I would mow all that was needed was to turn the key and go. What a feeling! As I pondered the absolute enjoyment of being out mowing, my thoughts turned to exactly why this took so long. Are we that hard headed? (For those of you who know us--don't answer!) Was it really worth the literal years of aggravation? In many ways, the whole process before the new tire had become 'normal' to us.
Funny. It is so easy for us to accept the things that are wrong with our lives. All those small missteps that need to be addressed but we get 'busy'. Perhaps this explains why it is so easy to accept the degradation that has become 'the norm' in our culture. It has happened, bit by bit--little by little. Most times we hear something on the news that shocks our senses...but we quickly try and get back to 'normal' in our own lives so as not to allow our world to be rocked.
Of late, I suspect we are getting that feeling that this is no longer working for us. We are battle weary in this 'culture war'. We are tired of feeling that we haven't any control over so much that is wrong about this place on earth we call home. Weary of watching our children make decisions based on the LCD (lowest common denominator) of acceptable social interaction since 'everyone is doing it..'. Life necessarily includes boundaries. God set the parameters in creation--and in our hearts, but we have continued to set those aside to just 'get along' for the sake of peace. It is more than time to breath new life into The Tablet Ten. We just may find life becomes easier.
Isn't it the truth, though. Good post. I have a new respect for a certain sibling's decisions on what < and who > is allowed < or not allowed > in their home based on said Tablet. It can < and often is > very difficult being the one to set and live by the example.
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