(Hinton News) – I have a vivid memory of when I learned to mow grass. We had obtained a new piece of land adjacent to ours, which made it necessary to get a riding mower. I was around nine at the time, so I was surprised when Dad told me to hop on so he could show me how to use the new riding mower. I remember he put it in the lowest possible gear and walked beside the mower, talking me through how to cut the wheel and put on the brakes. Then we moved on to how to disengage the blades. This was back before there were kill switches built into the seats, so he knew safety was a top priority.
There was one thing he forgot to cover, however. Reverse. I cut the wheel, got too close to a tree and couldn’t go forward. I was convinced I had ruined the mower. I shut it down and walked to the house with my head hung low and shoulders drooping. Dad asked me what was wrong, and I had to tell him I wrecked. He was more afraid I got hurt than anything else. When he saw what had happened, he busted out laughing. I remember asking him how was my tearing up the mower funny.
He got on the mower, put it in reverse, and showed me everything was okay. He even let me finish mowing the field. My Dad never belittled me nor made me feel bad for my mistake. He only taught me how to correct it and not do it again. I still mow the same way my Dad taught me over 40 years ago. Over the years, we had many more adventures mowing.
For instance, the time I cut a corner, and my front wheel rolled one way while I was going another. I will never forget the look on my Dad’s face when that happened. Or when my back wheel got stuck in a hole, and it appeared I was stuck on level ground. We had a good laugh at that.
My Dad thought you had to have a freshly mowed lawn for any summer holiday. It was his pride and joy to keep a nice lawn. While I don’t live up to his standards, the lessons he taught me keep going.
