Yard work

I think I found another reason why things didn't work for me in Malawi: yard work.

I really like yard work. And though there was definitely work around our volunteer house that had to be done, and though, as the other volunteers in my community could attest to, I didn't always jump at the opportunity to do that work, it is true that I didn't often have the opportunity to do routine yard work like cutting the grass or trimming the hedges. In fact, our volunteer community would intentionally choose not to do some of the yard work around our house. I think we choose not to do it for good reasons. It just that I didn't like the fact that I didn't get to do it on a regular occasion. Or perhaps, more accurately, what I didn't like is that I didn't have to do it on a regular occasion. And here I'm going to shift off my yard work topic for a bit, but I'll get back to it.

You see, many of the students at Chaminade or at MIRACLE, as well as some of our neighbors or other people from the community, would often come to our house to ask for 'piece work.' Piece work in Malawi is work that a person can do for a particular amount of time but is not a long-term or permanent source of income. It's something someone will do for a day or a couple of days in order to earn a small sum of cash. Many of our students really needed this work. They used the money to help pay their school fees, or to buy their school uniforms, or even to pay for transportation to and from school. And really, they often had no other way to earn it. Typically, a person would get paid about 300 Malawian Kwacha for one full day's work, roughly from 7AM until 4PM, including a cooked lunch. This is what we would pay our pieceworkers. 300 Malawian Kwacha is equal to about $2.14. Sound ridiculous, right? Well, that is what is a typical earning for a full day of work in Malawi, so we stuck with it. Though $2.14 seems absolutely trivial to us in the States, that $2.14 was more than many Malawians make. $2.14/day is what Malawians with a job would make, and most Malawians don't have paying jobs. Most Malawians live off of subsistence farming. So, I'm glad we didn't do our yard work. We had enough money in our budget to provide opportunities for our students and neighbors to do work, and I'm glad we were able to help them earn some money. I do think, however, that doing yard work is important for a healthy mind, a healthy spirit, and a healthy body. At least, it is for me. And this is where I'll get back to the topic of yard work.

Yesterday, I trimmed the hedges around our front yard. And I liked it! It took me close to two hours, and, though I was using an electric hedge trimmer, it was hard work. My hands got tired from holding the hedge trimmer, my back, arms, and shoulders felt the strain of the repetitive motions. And my muscles were tired by the time I had to bend over to lift the piles of branches and leaves into the garbage can. Despite the tedious work of it and despite any discomfort from it, I really enjoyed doing it, and it brought back to me a feeling I remember from all the days I spent doing yard work throughout my childhood and young adult life.

I never really wanted to do yard work. It was more often something I had to do when my mom told me to so. And you can ask her, I didn't always want to do it. But, whenever I did finally put on my shoes, muster myself out to the back porch to get the needed rake, shovel, or mower, and lowered my shoulder into that not-so-glamorous work, I usually ended the day with a sense of pride and a feeling of joy.

I think there is something inherently joyful about doing yard work. First of all, it gives us an opportunity, an excuse, or sometimes forces us, to get outside! Whenever we do yard work, we're brought up close and personal with the beauty of nature: the smell of freshly cut grass and spring flowers in the trees, the sight of a chipper squirrel seeking out a nut to steal back to her nest, the sound of a nearby songbird singing his song, the weighty feel of a log or branch needing to be moved, and the bittersweet taste of a raspberry plucked two-weeks before you should have. These things are so life-giving, and I don't think I'd want to live somewhere I couldn't enjoy them. Yard work reminds us to stop our busy schedules and get out and enjoy the beauty of nature. Second of all, yard work is physical work, and we all know how important physical activity is for our hearts, minds, and souls. Last night, when I finally got back inside, sat down, and pulled off my shoes, I had the feeling of having done good work. My body was happy having worked hard and having used the muscles I was given. Yard work gets us active in the middle of a lifestyle that has become predominantly sedentary. And finally, yard work helps us respect and appreciate the environment we inhabit. I know whenever I cut the grass, or when I look at the hedges I just trimmed, or after I clear out overgrown bushes, I stop and look at the job before heading in, or I take notice of it the next time I get home from being out, and I take a bit of pride in this land that I've cared for. Granted, I don't live on a farm or anything, but I take joy in the little work I do to keep up, maintain, and beautify my home.

And that's why I like yard work. But don't get me wrong, especially if you're my mom reading this. This doesn't mean I want to be outside every day or even every other day doing yard work. Yard work shouldn't be something that takes over your life. There's so much more to enjoy in life! Yard work is just one of them.