Sweeping the Driveway
It will come as no surprise to readers of this blog that I, like Rick Blaine, one of my favorite movie characters, am a sentimentalist. I'm only somewhat kidding when I say here, as I often do, that I miss the old days. I mean, I know that the times when I grew up weren't great for everyone and that many people were treated shamefully for a lot of different reasons, but I was blissfully unaware of most of this for a long time. I don't miss their old days. I miss mine.
What does that have to do with sweeping the driveway, you ask? Well, a couple of things. Most people have to rake leaves and sweep them off driveways in the fall. Not me. I have a giant magnolia tree, and magnolias shed leaves in the early spring. Lots and lots of them. I've never liked the magnolia tree because of this annoying characteristic, but Judy loved it. She refused to let me have it trimmed, and so it's grown from a bush to its current size. Now that she's gone, I could do what I want to with that tree, but I can't bring myself to do a thing. I'll never touch it. This shows exactly how hardboiled I am.
That's not all, though. As I was sweeping, I realized that I was using the push broom that Judy's father used to sweep his little grocery store in Thornton, Texas. I don't remember when he retired, but it was somewhere in the middle '70s. 1976, maybe, and here I am using that same broom. He'd used it for many years before that. Maybe you can't tell in the photo, but the handle of the broom was originally red. It still is near the bottom, but for about 2/3 of the way up, the paint has been worn away by years of hands sweeping with that broom. I could buy a nice new one, but will I? Of course not. That's not how a sentimentalist operates.
11 comments:
And stay off your lawn?
Hey, the broom works, right? Why replace it? We have a LOT of magnolias here too, believe it or not (for those of you reading this who think all of New York is like Times Square, well it isn't) and they've made our neighborhood look like Spring at last. And since I don't have to sweep up the flowers that fall, no problem.
Jeff
I like that magnolia. And I like that broom.
John D
Yes, I noticed our lawn is blanketed with magnolia leaves. I guess I'll get the rake out when I get home.
And Bill, never apologize for being "sentimental"--that is, having humanity in your heart.
I should mention, Deb, that I'm far too lazy to rake the yard. The leaves can stay there because they don't bother me. The ones in the driveway do, for some reason.
That is sweet, Bill. Thanks for sharing, as they say.
Leaves in the yard? That's for the lawnmower to take care of.
And all this time I thought you were just cheap. I'm the same way: I don't replace anything that still works or can be worn.
And magnolia trees are beautiful.
Jackie says it's the same as the old shoes you wouldn't get rid of.
Jeff
I have a stump in my back yard that puts me in mind of the one Shane and the father took out in the movie/book. I've chainsawed it, sawsalled it (yeah, in Oklahoma that's a verb), and went Sunday to buy a brand-new shiny ax. I will win. And I will keep that ax forever because it cost me $54!
And yes, I know at 57 I could hire someone else to dig it up or simply grind it, but I refuse to knuckle under. I'm kinda sentimental about things too, but I HATE that stump at this point!
I don't think even I would be sentimental about a stump, Mel.
And Jeff, those were comfortable shoes!
Nice post. I've been mowing and weed-eating the past couple of days and plan to do some more today before the rain starts again tomorrow.
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