I have been shoveling for only fifty-two of my fifty-seven years. I took off the first five years of my life and did not start in earnest until I was six. I was resting up. I knew how hard this type of work was in New England.
At six I took up my little red shovel and tromped door to door looking for paid shoveling jobs. I was a specialist in sidewalks. I never gave estimates. I would leave my pay to the kind hearts of my customers. Some were more kind hearted than others, parting with their dimes and quarters. This was not high stake shoveling.
As I aged significantly to eight, ten and twelve, the jobs got bigger, the pay a little better, and the work a lot harder. But I could bear down. Bend over and hump that long side of the driveway! Leverage that back!
The 2007 version of that shoveler has mellowed - not out of choice, but by necessity. My back just will not do what it once could do without pain. I now try to use my legs more. But mostly I take smaller bites of the snow, work slower, rest a lot and hire a plow to do most of the work.
The latest storm and my snow plow guy left a lot of clean up for me. I had to clear out a path for my motorhome so that I could soon make my escape to Florida. And my hot tub needed to be released from the grip of winter. Are you feeling bad for me yet?
But after all the work was done, I felt a lot like that six year old boy. We put away our little red shovel, we took off our snow suit and left it on the floor, and we took a nap.
At six I took up my little red shovel and tromped door to door looking for paid shoveling jobs. I was a specialist in sidewalks. I never gave estimates. I would leave my pay to the kind hearts of my customers. Some were more kind hearted than others, parting with their dimes and quarters. This was not high stake shoveling.
As I aged significantly to eight, ten and twelve, the jobs got bigger, the pay a little better, and the work a lot harder. But I could bear down. Bend over and hump that long side of the driveway! Leverage that back!
The 2007 version of that shoveler has mellowed - not out of choice, but by necessity. My back just will not do what it once could do without pain. I now try to use my legs more. But mostly I take smaller bites of the snow, work slower, rest a lot and hire a plow to do most of the work.
The latest storm and my snow plow guy left a lot of clean up for me. I had to clear out a path for my motorhome so that I could soon make my escape to Florida. And my hot tub needed to be released from the grip of winter. Are you feeling bad for me yet?
But after all the work was done, I felt a lot like that six year old boy. We put away our little red shovel, we took off our snow suit and left it on the floor, and we took a nap.
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