Simplify

In Walden, Thoreau admonishes us to “Simplify.”  He explains that our lives are “frittered away by details.”  For someone who built himself a cabin in the woods in an age without electricity, simplifying meant not owning a horse and refusing to pay his poll tax. It’s still an interesting concept.

When I was younger, I used to pride myself on my independence.  I learned to cook (I had terrific grandmothers and my mother learned from some of the best), and then taught myself to prepare most of those recipes over an open fire.  Talk about simplification.  Even Henry had a stove.  He did cut his own wood.  He wasn’t living in a tent, either, but then, I was only roughing it on the weekends.  Still, “back in the good old days” meant someone had to raise or stalk the meat, do the butchering and curing, cut the wood, build the fire, then cook the vittles.  Some even had to make their own utensils, including the plates.  Pioneer women had it so easy….

These days, my simplifying usually means finding a tool that makes the job easier.  It is a bit of a conundrum that the simpler the device, the larger and more complicated the instruction manual!  Some of the newest don’t even have a manual—they rely on the entire Internet!  Just think about trying to print an instruction manual for your iPhone or other SmartPhone.

Yesterday I needed to get the leaves off the backyard.  When that colorful carpet gets to be too thick, it starts smothering the grass. Also, today my lawn service came to apply fall fertilizer and it needed to penetrate that layer of deciduous droppings.  Luckily, the weather cooperated and it didn’t rain.  There was even some sunshine.  On top of that, I had a three-day weekend.

Hauled out the Black and Decker blower/vacuum and went to work.  Plugged that thing in and spent a good hour creating a wonderful pile of brightly colored leaves.  Hello, Linus.  My son brought the grandsons over later in the afternoon.  That’s why I left the pile.  I planned to mulch the leaves with the vacuum and spread them around the shrubs that line two sides of the fence.

The boys had a great time jumping in the leaves and burying themselves.  They chased Dad around the yard, played some catch with the football, and threw a Frisbee.  When they were worn out and having a snack, I went back to clean up.  I couldn’t get the power cord out of the blower/vac.  I pulled and pulled.  Finally, it came out, along with one of the blades, which was still stuck in the plug.  I went after the rake and basket.

Next thing I knew I was going after more rakes and baskets.  Everyone pitched in.  Even the youngest picked up a leaf or two and put it in the pile.  We laughed at one another, reminisced about past episodes in the yard, and wondered what the little boys would remember of days like this one.  In short order, the pile was gone and spread around the shrubs along the fence.

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t do all of that work by myself with my simple machines.  I don’t think I’ll forget doing it the hard way yesterday; all that talking and laughing and loving every minute of it.  Simple.  (Where’s the Ibuprophen?)