Thanks Wind!

Thank goodness for the wind. If the wind might not have blown all night long last night, I may have fallen asleep or something. You know, we are lucky to have things like wind. Wind seems to happen when air under higher pressure moves to an area of lower pressure. Along the way, it can shake windows and turn your front door into a harmonica.  The wind can give you a fantastic opportunity to play hide and seek with empty trash cans or lawn furniture.

I live at the end of a short two block street. Two streets make a perfect T right in front of my house. And this serves a vital job for the rest of the community. Whether it’s leaves from our forest of trees, trash from those who have already lost their trashcan lids, or anything else from old cigarette packs to someone’s homework, everything seems to find its way to my lawn and into my carport. Thanks, prevailing winds!

Over the 25+ years that I have lived here, I have considered many options to deal with the presents that the wind brings me. I had thought of a high chain link fence. Unfortunately, our winds blow strong enough that things can move over the top of the fence and then would be held inside my yard, growing from knee to hip deep. I also imagined with a chain-link fence that debris that could not get over the fence would be lodged into the chain-link and make it look as though the house had been buried in trash. I did consider this along with a fence sign that would read ‘Modern Art Exhibit.’

I also considered doing a little accounting. I would charge a penny for each leaf and three cents for each piece of debris. I would keep a running tally, and then once a year, I would divide all those pennies I had added up by the number of houses on the two blocks of my street and go around to collect payment for my services of cleaning up and disposing of everything. I hear trash companies make a real profit at this.

Well, none of my grand schemes ever really went to fruition. I just look at the gathering refuse as an excellent excuse to get out and enjoy some exercise and fresh air. And, I have a bonus of being able to play with my leaf blower. The kid in me thinks that’s a really neat deal.

Maybe the wind’s looking out for me after all.

Thanks for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof