I saw someone mowing their lawn a couple weeks ago. It was still March! Wow. At our house, early spring or not, we set a slower pace with lawn care. March is not even in our sights. Then the month of April is set aside for finding the mower. In our one-car garage, it is obscured by flat-tired bikes we don’t remember taking in, snow shovels, sleds, skis and the battery charger. The month of May, with a nod to Nike, is called “Just Start It” month. A story came to my attention involving a man who experienced some troubles in this regard:
Milwaukee man accused of shooting lawn mower because it wouldn't start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed. According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want," he told police.
The manufacturers encourage this type of criminal behavior when their mower ads put you in mind of a sleek sports car. Their videos feature turn-tight technology to a disco beat. “Get behind the wheel and you’ll feel the difference.” I saw a John Deere lawn tractor tagged at $12,000 and that was without the mowing deck. Who wouldn’t be peeved when something like that doesn’t start?
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Though I must say I picture Mr. Walendowski shooting a mower more along the lines of our own raggedy-bum rider. The difference is, we would never shoot ours because we believe in positive reinforcement. One Saturday last June my son and I were in the living room when we heard an unusual sound outside. We looked at each other...“what’s that??” The foreign sound was the mower engine running. Never mind that it was mis-firing; it was a steady miss, like a dance beat - a miss you could party to! We brought out lemonade to celebrate while my husband patted it encouragingly, “Atta Boy, Atta Boy!”
