The Way The World Should Work

Yard work is not my most looked forward to way to spend two hours so after months of relentless rain my front yard was showing its lack of attention. As usual, I put off calling in a commercial yard crew because it's always $300 to cut down and clear away what has become a jungle by the time I do make the call and $300 is a lot dearer these days than it used to be. So when there was a knock on the front door a few evenings back I knew the procrastination had to end; it was surely a neighbor come to "request" I do something about the yard.

Well, it was neighbor and it was about the yard, but the "request" was would I permit him to cut it down so he could use the cuttings for his compost? He could really use the compost and he would really appreciate it if I said yes.

I didn't say yes I said hell yes.

The next day my yard was as neat and shorn as a raw Marine recruit's head and that evening the neighbor dropped by just to thank me for the privilege. I offered to treat him to dinner but he said he'd got the best of the deal so thanks anyway.

Today he was back taking off the half inch that had grown back; I guess he really does need a lot of compost. I made him a tall glass of iced lemonade which I half thought he might turn down, but he wiped his brow and was grateful and drank it down in the heat.

Now how do we go about making the rest of the world work this way?