Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend. Today's was written by Liverpool and Fairfield Champion journalist Chris Boulous
I never thought I would be the guy to write about grass. Grass? Yes, beautiful buffalo, couch, kikuyu or bermuda grass has become somewhat of a passion of mine.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, there were three certainties for me: the 11am press conference, an afternoon walk and me tending to my lawn.
But this isn't about me raving on about my lawn (which would be as boring as, well, watching grass grow).
This my public service announcement for people to cut their grass! OK, granted the recent Sydney weather has made mowing grass a somewhat near impossible task.
But my gripe goes back well before La Nina came to town. It's something I've noticed over the past five years.
There is nothing worse than driving past a lovely house and seeing an overgrown lawn with edges hanging over the gutter.
I'm not asking for every house to look like a golf course. I just want a well-kept lawn. Come on, gentleman and ladies; it's every two-weeks in summer and probably monthly after that. Is it that hard?
So here is my sales pitch about the beauty of keeping a well-maintained lawn. I'll call it my 10 reasons why cutting the grass is the best thing ever (OK, the title may need some work).
- The look: No need to sell this one. A majestic lawn is the perfect compliment to any house.
- The smell: Arguably one of the best smells of summer. Bottle it up and sell it.
- The social interaction: There is no better way to bond with your neighbours than sharing lawn tips.
- The feel: I dare you to run your hand through freshly cut grass and don't feel a sense of satisfaction.
- The workout: Need some help reaching 10,000 steps? Put the petrol in the lawnmower and push it around.
- The post-cut beverage: One of life's great pleasures it to sit back with a well earned drink after cutting the grass.
- The break: Life can be messy, so a chance to escape does wonders for your mental health.
- The tunes: Listening to your favourite songs or catching up on a podcast is an added bonus while you are navigating the cutting.
- The trip to Bunnings: A genuine rite of passage.
- The family time: While you are cutting the grass, it's a great chance to teach the kids about responsibility and all about the garden.
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