Shower Power

Not long ago, I lived with my parents and care of the lawn was my often neglected responsibility. A sparse mowing schedule minimized air pollution, water pollution, and interruptions to my summer leisure time. Such reasoning rarely persuaded my parents. My visit this week featured a startling role reversal with my insisting the grass ought to be cut and volunteering to do so.

As I pushed the mower that humid afternoon, I wondered what had changed. Perhaps a hiatus from mowing will make anyone’s landscaping philosophy more exacting, but I think the reports of vandalism and the scraggily look of the whole neighborhood are what compelled me to do anything I could for my old street.

After mowing I was reminded of a resource that, in a better world, would secure property value. The shower in the upstairs bathroom delivers water pressure beyond anything Bull Connor could order. Adjustable settings let a bather choose anything from a typical shower to a hockey check. If only showerheads were the measure of a community, then my hometown’s far eastside would be legendary.