Snowblower

Our neighbor Bob asked us in the Fall if we wanted a share of a new snowblower. Now four households on the block have chipped in $175 towards a beautiful shiny red machine. I had sneered at snowblowers. I grouped them with snowmobiles as obnoxiously noisy toys of the fat and lazy. Now that I have lived in my wintry northern state for over a quarter century, I had come to accept that I might use a snowblower when I got old. I hold a Puritanical allegiance to the simple sturdy snow shovel, but when the offer came, I jumped. I rationalized that we share the same informal outdoor equipment cooperative's gas powered lawn mower, and it was time that we contributed some capital.

So here I am, not so old - right? Instead of the hearty heave-ho-step-breathe oneness with the icy bounty of the skies, now I slavishly open the fuel valve and the choke, set the switch to on, and pull the starter cord. I push a machine that separates me from nature. Ease comes at a price.

The snowblower brings ethical questions- not about energy consumption and air pollution, but where do I blow the snow? Do I point the outlet so the snow blows onto my neighbor's windows? If I turn it counter clockwise from there, the snow blows onto my other neighbor's car. Although, why must they park in front of our house after all? If I turn further counter clockwise, the snow blows towards our yard, which is fine except the wind blows the snow back onto my driveway defeating the purpose. At another angle, the snow would land innocuously on a deserted strip of yard, but only the small portion that isn't stopped by my face. Although I chafe at the city snowplow for burying my driveway and the cut at the sidewalk down to the street, it doesn't feel right to blow the snow out into the street. In any case, if I send it to the left, the plow will only put it back on my driveway, and if I send it to the right, there's another neighbor's car. With my sweet old shovel, I could precisely place each bit of snow on my terrace where it belongs with no angst, no questions. With the shovel, I stopped at my property line. Now I blow a path on my neighbor's sidewalk as well, but is it insulting to only do one pass leaving a cleared path perhaps a third the width of the sidewalk? Yes, I make a show of helping you, but only so far.

Yesterday I stood in the lightly falling snow with my neighbors Bob and Steve in manly discussion of the day's snowblower schedule, deciding who would be done when and who would use it next. I felt warm and content. Today at my son's boy scout meeting, my neighbor Bob entrusted me with a key to his garage, where we keep our shiny red snowblower.