Real Men Pulled Cords

 

We’d inherited a mower with this house.  I paid to have it fixed twice last year.  The place were we took it to have this done is manned by resentful people who don’t seem to like what they do or necessarily care if anyone ever returns for future services.  Still I return.  Toward the end of last year I filled the mower with the dregs of what we had in the old gas tank and it wouldn’t start. Dreading the return to the repair shop I was determined to dump the gas this year and start anew with fresh gas.  I did so and, of course, the mower still won’t start. 

Meanwhile we have a very affordable service available from the crew that come in the winter to plow our driveway.  They’re indeed so affordable they don’t seem to give a fuck about whether they come or don’t, whether they earn your trust or flaunt it, because they generally have an excuse or place the ETA out days and days and days into the future.  They were to come ‘in a few days” before we went off to Dallas last week.  Basement-level expectations, they did not of course take care of the yard while we were gone.  I wrote them when I returned and am still waiting for a reply. 

 

Enough!  The Mrs. and I headed off to Lowes to buy a new mower.  My wife had sent me an article comparing what’s available these days.  The Honda that cost just over $600. seemed to be the pick of the litter and I was convinced that that would be what we’d buy.  We argued over whether or not the decision was already made.  She wanted to know more about these new electric motors and somehow I imagined that this was somehow something that weak people did.  Real men, pulled cords, pushed mowers and filled them full of smelly petrol. 

There at Lowes my wife started up a conversation with a young gent, who introduced her to the Ego, electric mower.  Rudely, I mentioned that we had many more acres to mow than the two she had aluded do and directed things over to the Honda’s.  Marc, the young clerk was happy to tell me all about them but.  Realizing I’d been a bore, I asked him to tell us more about the Ego’s as well.  And as he did, he did so very convincingly.  Slowly, I let my prejudice fall and my pride receded and I embraced the notion of spending our $600 dollars on this electric mower.  Later Marc gave us a tutorial on cooking stoves as well.  Unassuming, knowledgeable, affable I asked if he got commissions on these sales and when he said “no” and after I’d told him that I manage sales teams and he was good, and after I’d determined to walk out with the new EG\go mower, I did what I have never done before.  I reached in my wallet, pulled out a twenty and went on a search or Marc, who I tipped for all his insights.  Shit.  We robotically tip bitchy idiots at restaurants for much less service and this young gent had actually taught me a thing or two. 

 

I took the Ego around the yard today and . . . it was quiet, effective and almost fun. 

 

 

 

Saturday, 07/10/21