I have never understood the leaf-blowing and raking frenzy that captures Americans in October and refuses to release them until November.
If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, it roughly goes as follows:
A single leaf: *falls*
Every respectable home in the area: BREAK OUT THE LEAF BLOWERS AND THE RAKES WE CANNOT HAVE A SINGLE LEAF IN SIGHT IT WOULD BE DISGRACEFUL
Every person you ask about fall: Oh, I love it when the leaves fall, they look so pretty 🙂
I don’t understand it either.
The way I see it, leaves are nature’s confetti, and who doesn’t love a good party? You don’t even have to clean it up! The leaves will biodegrade all by themselves and by spring there will be no evidence left. There probably won’t really be evidence in winter either, but winter comes with snow and that, my friends, is its own rant. For the first part of fall the leaves are still brightly colored, and if anything make lawns infinitely more interesting than a monoculture slab of green. In the latter part the leaves do turn brown and a little less flashy, but that’s when they start getting crunchy! And crunchy leaves are perfect for stepping on. It’s one of my favorite autumn activities.
People can keep their lawns however they like, and if they want nary a leaf in sight they have every right to prefer that aesthetic, and I suppose in some cases there might be the concern of a slipping hazard, but to me it always seemed like such a waste of time and energy. In a world where there is always so much to do and never enough time, I am always eager to cut out unnecessary tasks, especially when those tasks aren’t fun. Walking around a yard with your head bent and headphones on so you don’t damage your hearing whilst carrying a large, noisy machine on your back never sounded like a fun time to me. Maybe I’m just weird, maybe that’s exactly what most people dream of doing it their spare time. I somehow doubt it.
Anyway, keep your lawn and your leaves however you like. I might judge you for it a little, but in the grand scheme of your life, how much does the passing judgement of a faceless internet stranger really matter?
Be free,
Nah
