Raking leavings? Uggh, one of the worst jobs Ev Ver. I love trees, but every fall I come to hate them, despise them and wish I had never planted them. I love the shade they provide in the summer, but why can’t they pick up after themselves in the fall? Why do I have to pick up their fallen leaves? Nobody rakes leaves in the forest. Raking leaves is almost as boring as painting … I said “almost”, nothing can top painting, especially ceilings. But I digress.
One reason raking leaves is monotonous is all the leaves look alike. Yeah, sure, there are various shades of dirty brown, but not the vibrant fall colors they had while on the tree, and they definitely are all shaped alike. And, you can’t see yourself making any progress in this endless task. You stick the rake out as far as you can reach, catch a few leaves in the tines and drag the rake back to your feet. All the leaves look alike AND you can’t see where you dragged the rake. You do it again. Again and again, and eventually you have a large pile of dirty brown leaves at your feet. But more leaves have fallen since you started (or blown in from the neighbor’s yard), and you still can’t see where you have raked — no grass in sight, just more dried dirty brown leaves. Then, the worst part of all, you have to dispose of the pile you just made, pick them up and place them in a container — a paper sack from the drug store, a black polyethylene trash bag, or the wheelbarrow. You do this, all day long, gathering each and every leaf until, finally, once again, your yard is emerald green and debris free. Uggh.
So, this year I tried making it more fun by hiring a leaf connoisseur. Yeah, a leaf connoisseur, one who knows the difference between one leaf and another, one who appreciates the subtle differences between each leaf, and one who truly accepts each leaf as an individual. He generally sniffs each leaf to appreciate its own bouquet. He rubs the leaf between his fingers to identify the textural uniqueness of each leaf. He definitely becomes one with the leaf when he places it gently on his palette.
Raking leaves this year was a totally different experience; it took me a bit longer, but I learned a lot … one leaf at a time.
Thought for the Day: Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Larry's Blog 