Last week something remarkable happened at my front door. It was an event that used to be commonplace for young people but in the world of cell phones, video games, computers and television it is something that rarely happens.
There was a knock on my door and when I answered it I found a young man about twelve years old on my porch. With confidence he said: “Sir, I stopped by to see if you would like your lawn mowed.” As I looked at the grass in the front yard it looked like it could indeed use a mowing after the recent rains. He didn’t wait for my response when he added: “You can pay me whatever you think is fair.”
I pondered that proposal for a second. Normally Lori and I trade off mowing but I love to reward initiative from young people. It occurs less frequently today than when I was a kid and I like to encourage it every time I can. Whether it’s Girl Scout Cookies, Boy Scout Popcorn, School Fundraisers or Lemonade stands. I usually say yes to a kid who gets out from in front of a video game and shows initiative in the real world.
Now back to the kid on my front porch. I was left to ponder an open ended offer. Our lawn is pretty small and the back yard didn’t need mowing so I said: “How about twenty bucks for the front yard?” The young man agreed that it was fair and it wasn’t long before he was back at the front door to proudly announce that he was done. I looked over the lawn and I have to say that he did a pretty good job. I pulled out my wallet and handed him a bill bearing the picture of Andrew Jackson. As I handed it to him he politely said: “Thank you so much. I’m trying to make money to help my dad.”
That was not the response I expected and I couldn’t help but ask: “What’s up with your dad?”
He said: “He just lost his job and I’m trying to help.” That got to me a little bit. He went on to tell me details about the unjust way his dad lost his job and that he was the best worker in his department. I could hear the pain in his voice as he showed profound empathy for his dad. There was no doubt he was trying to do what he could to belay the worry his dad felt for the financial future of his family. I had never met the boy’s dad, but through this awesome young man on my porch, I could see all I needed to about the man. He was a very good dad.
I asked the boy if he had an edger and he said he did. I said, “If you will edge around the sidewalks and driveway, I’ll give you another twenty bucks.” The boy quickly agreed to do it and in a short amount of time he had finished the job and I handed him another bill just like the last one.
As he took the money, he said something that gave me chuckle. He said: “What do you think about a tip?” With a smile I said: “I think $40 for just the front yard is pretty generous.” He agreed and said that he had mowed several lawns and that was the most money he had been paid. He said that he had mowed several lawns and the least anyone had offered was eight dollars. He quickly added that next time he would mow mine for free. Of course, I won’t let him mow if for free but I bet the next time my lawn needs mowing he will show up to follow through on the offer. It was worth $40 just to meet such a terrific kid.
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