In the midst of a busy day, I decided to take about a half hour and drive the long way around the city to an appointment I had on the west side. The wind of last evening seemed to find every loose piece of paper and discarded plastic bottles and blew them into some of the most conspicuous places.
What caught my eye were the number of volunteer trees growing around buildings and homes. I do hope the owners notice them and cut them out before they become more of a nuisance than they already are. I have often considered how difficult it would be for the city to employ high school students for the summer and teach them a bit before turning them loose on all our public grounds.
I visited a smaller town some years ago where there was an adult foreman of sorts who supervised about five students when working on a city landscaping project. There must have been at least seven to ten groups like these that were working all over that community. I spent several days there because I was attending a seminar and found myself spending as much free time walking around. It was absolutely beautiful. The private property owners seemed to have caught on with the spirit of things because nearly every front yard appeared manicured. I was so taken by what I saw, I almost didn’t want to return to the seminar from the breaks because of the beauty I found myself surrounded by during my walks.
This brings to mind a client I had some years ago who lived in Orange City. She told me once that she and her husband went away for about two weeks on vacation and upon returning, found their lawn mowed and a note on their front door stating that the next time they go away, to be sure and have someone mow their lawn. Some may think this invasive, but when you step back and look at the whole picture, you will find a community that cares about its appearance. I’d rather have neighbors who are more conscientious rather than careless. Stepping out of one’s box is a bit hard sometimes, but after a while you get used to it and have a better feeling about the true meaning of stewardship. This is something we all should believe to be worth talking about.
