Mowing the lawn is getting easier, now that I've been doing it for six weeks or so. My right hand had been hurting quite badly for most of this time, mostly repetitive stress from mousing and keyboarding, but much worse since I started mowing. Fearing some kind of fracture, I finally saw a hand specialist last week: no break, and only minimal osteoarthritis. However, the light bulb went off as I talked with the doctor. I've been using hand rather than arm muscles to pull the starter, and until today I squeezed much too tightly on the drive lever. This is the case with a lot of other activities too, so in only a few days, my hand feels better. Today I started the mower several times with a nice, long pull and had no pain whatsoever.
Another insight as I worked on this warm, muggy morning and sweat was dripping from my head onto my glasses and into my eyes. Minutes later, my eyes were burning I could taste salt on my lips. I reflected that I have only very rarely worked up a sweat in my life. The few times stand out: lifeguarding on a hot day with too few breaks, being overdressed while cross country skiing, cooking Christmas dinner wearing a heavy holiday shirt, inline skating in 90-degree weather, helping my brother and his wife unpack after a move to Memphis in the brutal heat of late August. And now, mowing the lawn.
I really enjoy the finality of shutting off the lawnmower and closing the garage door. Water tastes delicious and the cool shower feels heavenly. But since a lawn business is not in my future, I'll have to find some other way of "breaking a sweat" the other six days of the week.
