just wave

  Yesterday I decided to mow the lawn. Turns out the mower needed gas. Well sometimes I just ride the lawn tractor up to the gas station. That is what I did yesterday. It was early in the morning, schools out so no buses, those that had to be at work by eight are already there and so traffic is minimal. The traffic can get intense around Greensboro, that's why we had to get a second traffic light! But, there was a cooling breeze, the air was new, and I set out. That good old John Deere just purrs along. There were children riding bicycles, a new mom pushing her baby in a stroller and a gentleman having his coffee on the porch. As I rode by each one waved a friendly greeting that I returned just as eagerly. Life in a small town does has its' simple pleasures. Riding your lawn tractor down town is one of them. 

 Some years back I was employed by the town of Ridgely. Ridgely is the next town up the street from Greensboro, a distance of about five miles. As a member of the public works department I cut the grass, among many other duties. I often rode a zero turn mower about town and the folks would always wave. For the larger areas, those that the objective was to merely keep the grass down to a reasonable height, I drove a tractor with a bush hog. Everyone would wave at me then as well. Young children would get especially excited to see that bright orange tractor. It was like an attraction.  The dump truck and backhoe had the same effect on people. 

 Yesterday, as I rode my lawn tractor I was remembering all of that. I thought, maybe we should all just ride tractors. People are sure a lot friendlier when you are driving a tractor. The size of the tractor doesn't really seem to matter a great deal, although the larger the tractor the more excited they seem to get, hmm, guess size matters. Still any tractor will work. Suddenly folks are more outgoing, like they place a trust in someone riding a tractor. Is there some imagery going on here? I wasn't dressed in coveralls or wearing a straw hat. What's the allure? That I'm not sure about but the world could use a lot more of whatever it is. I don't get the same reaction when I'm walking down the street. Then, more often than not, others look away, look down and pretend they didn't even see me. Seldom will they speak. It's almost like there is a wariness about speaking to someone you don't know when that person is on foot. 

 Caroline county is farm country no doubt about that. It is a frequent occurrence to encounter very large tractors, combines and other mysterious farm machinery on the highway. Now, generally speaking these machines are quite large with enclosed cabs. No one is waving at them however and I suspect most drivers are muttering unkind words. It appears that those cabs inhibit the greeting somewhat, although that wasn't the case when I was driving the backhoe. Maybe if those farm tractors had air horns like the big rigs children would give them that universal signal to blow the horn. I don't know, all I know is those tractors aren't as welcomed as a lawn tractor or smaller open cab tractors are. But you know you live in farm country, especially during the harvest season.

 I do think though that if we all just slowed down, waved at each other a bit more, perhaps a new atmosphere would be created. It's an old saying, things are going too fast, and I have to say I agree. I have to question, what's the rush? After cutting the grass I took the clippings to the landfill. Yes, I bag up the clippings and put them in those eco-friendly bags. They have a dumpster at the landfill dedicated to lawn waste only and that is where I put those clippings. You have to dump them out of the bag though, they won't accept that bag in the landfill. As I was doing that there was an older gentleman there unloading some brush and branches. I remarked how some things just don't make sense, like having to use those bags but I can't put them in that dumpster. He agreed that a lot of things in life just don't make sense. Then he added, but God is in control and it will all make sense one day. I agreed with that statement and said, a lot of folks need to learn that lesson. Once again he agreed and just before I departed I left him with these words, I figure we are only here for a short time, if you want to have a good life, or a good marriage, it's best to just do as you are told. I would add to that, just wave at the folks as you pass them by, you never know when you might have to stop.