Remember to Have Fun Out There!
With the 2012 season in full swing, I often find myself running in about six different directions at once. Managing my current project, ironing out details on pending projects, ordering supplies, picking up materials, managing labor, meeting with new prospects, and working on estimates. All in an honest day’s work.
And sometimes in the heat of all that chaos its easy to forget why I got into this line of work in the first place – Because I really like working outdoors and creating fun, comfortable, interesting outdoor spaces.
And to be honest, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself of that.
Landscaping should be fun.
When I was kid I used to spend countless hours in our local creeks. Building dams, catching salamanders and frogs, following the small runs through neighborhoods and discovering what creeks connected to larger creeks and where these creeks led. It was fun, provided an imaginary escape, and was a backdrop to my youth.
I get home from work now in the evenings, and my kids are spending their free time exploring our yard and neighborhood. Catching insects, playing in the sandbox, and digging in the dirt.
Playing with the earth, in one form or another, is a timeless rite of passage. And as a landscape contractor I am privileged enough to have a job where I get paid to play in the dirt. OK, it’s a bit more than just playing, there’s certainly some skill and some know-how that’s involved. But I’m outside working with nature. I can’t imagine a better workplace.
I hear people complain sometimes, “oh, these weeds, my back, this manual labor, the dirt, etc.” To which I think to myself, I thought the whole point of working out in your garden was supposed to be an escape, a fun hobby, or a personal interest.
And to be honest, if you were to happen to catch me on the computer late one night as I finalize an estimate or work on my bookkeeping, you might hear a choice complaint or two come out of my mouth. And when I catch myself doing that, I stop for a second and remind myself of those glorious 80-degree days, when we’re working in the mottled sunlight as commuters get up and drive to their office and fix themselves at their cubicles.
And the complaining stops pretty quickly.
Landscaping should be fun.
I’m fortunate to have a job that allows me to spend my days outside, working with the earth. Amen to that.
And sometimes in the heat of all that chaos its easy to forget why I got into this line of work in the first place – Because I really like working outdoors and creating fun, comfortable, interesting outdoor spaces.
And to be honest, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself of that.
Landscaping should be fun.
When I was kid I used to spend countless hours in our local creeks. Building dams, catching salamanders and frogs, following the small runs through neighborhoods and discovering what creeks connected to larger creeks and where these creeks led. It was fun, provided an imaginary escape, and was a backdrop to my youth.
I get home from work now in the evenings, and my kids are spending their free time exploring our yard and neighborhood. Catching insects, playing in the sandbox, and digging in the dirt.
Playing with the earth, in one form or another, is a timeless rite of passage. And as a landscape contractor I am privileged enough to have a job where I get paid to play in the dirt. OK, it’s a bit more than just playing, there’s certainly some skill and some know-how that’s involved. But I’m outside working with nature. I can’t imagine a better workplace.
I hear people complain sometimes, “oh, these weeds, my back, this manual labor, the dirt, etc.” To which I think to myself, I thought the whole point of working out in your garden was supposed to be an escape, a fun hobby, or a personal interest.
And to be honest, if you were to happen to catch me on the computer late one night as I finalize an estimate or work on my bookkeeping, you might hear a choice complaint or two come out of my mouth. And when I catch myself doing that, I stop for a second and remind myself of those glorious 80-degree days, when we’re working in the mottled sunlight as commuters get up and drive to their office and fix themselves at their cubicles.
And the complaining stops pretty quickly.
Landscaping should be fun.
I’m fortunate to have a job that allows me to spend my days outside, working with the earth. Amen to that.
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