Pastime

The deafening sound of the leaf blower seems tolerable after a few minutes, it somewhat disguises the street noise. It’s hot and sticky today and the fan towering above me isn’t justifying its speed. I order a bottle of water and ice to go with it in hopes that it will not only quench my thirst but alleviate my body temperature somewhat. I’m waiting patiently for company and they’re late. I’m also now wondering why I took outdoor seating in a garden setting as I feel the droplets of sweat slide down my back.

I shoo away the pesky mosquitoes that seem always to be engrossed by leaving me bumpy lesions that last for days. The gardener doesn’t seem one bit phased by the scorching heat or the bugs. I watch him go about his business, masking nobly under the beaming sun. I smile back and he continues. He’s an older gentleman, I wonder why he’s taken on such a tedious task, he does it with admiration, like it’s his own piece of land. You can see the lines of his life indented on his forehead and his hands tell me they’ve rooted many plants. He seems in no rush to complete his work and I like that he’s leisurely and passionate. He fiddles with every leaf that seems astray and accurately measures the moisture in every pot with his worn hands. I reckon he’s an accomplished gardener. 

Unlike me he doesn’t reach for gloves as his hands muddle with the soil. A true mark of a farmer no doubt. He wipes the remaining dirt on his overalls and wobbles to the next plant. At one time it was hard for me to associate being orderly and polished with cultivating a garden. Then I became a gardener myself and I realized perfection can be obtained with anything you set your mind to.

Suddenly the noise from his machinery halts and I’m back to hearing the swoosh of the  traffic. I even notice the whimsical wind chime faintly clinking and next to it the bird feeder.  His instruments must have frightened them away. I begin to slouch in the heat as my eyes follow his every move.  He must be someone’s granddad I’m guessing. This must be his hobby to fill in his spare time during the day. I wonder what his other profession was before he took up gardening.

We all need a pastime to make us feel good. A diversion of sorts if you will. Some leisurely pursuit to offset the madness of our everyday haul.  Our lives are contaminated with a list of ‘to do’s’, we are in a constant switched ‘on’ mode, from school to college to work, juggling family, children, parents and our social network. When finally we begin winding down it doesn’t come so easily. 

We still look for things to occupy our mind. Part of me understands the need to keep busy, it refrains us from unnecessary thoughts. The other half resonates with enjoying the fruits of our labor. We work hard so we deserve this time to relax but that’s the irony, we are so used to being busy, a peaceful lifestyle is hard to get accustomed to. Yet we all need a divertissement that requires no complex effort, something that we love to do, something we are good at and something that takes us away from our troubles of life.  We should also be able to find the time to do things that make us happy to be alive. 

My gardener friend replaces the blaring sound of his leaf blower with a sweet humming and winks as he approaches me. We engage in conversation mainly about plants and I get excited about sharing my own gardening experiences. I see the passion in his eyes and I listen to his romance for the plants. He agrees, we all need a passion we can keep pursuing in life, it helps you stay young and vibrant. It helps with diluting some of the stress and cleanses the mind, putting it simply, it should fulfill you and balance out your affair of living life.