A Matter of Perspective

We have a small yard. But in our small yard are four huge trees. The largest of which is an Oak tree that must be 80- to 100-feet high.

As the weather is now changing, and Fall is quickly upon us, the leaves of these four large trees begins to fall. If we did not rake the leaves we would literally have a backyard of leaves a couple of a feet deep. It's rather amazing how many leaves drop from these four large trees. And with a fenced yard, the leaves have no where for the wind to take them. They're ours to deal with, and it's a ton of work. But the shade and beauty the trees offer make the work worthwhile.

One Fall, a couple years back, I was tackling the constant challenge of leaf raking and bagging. I'll first rake up all the leaves in the yard and create a huge pile around the base of the Oak tree. The nearby fence makes it easy to create large piles. Then I'll bag them and get them out to the curb for pick-up by the borough.

One afternoon I had pulled together an especially huge pile, easily taller than myself. I was tired. I was working hard. I was almost done. All of a sudden I heard this small voice say, "Hey Mister!"

I looked around, a little put-off by this distraction so close to being finished.

"Hey Mister!"

I squinted a little, and there at the end of my yard, peering around the fence was a young boy. He was the mischevious looking type, but beaming with a friendly smile.

"Yes?" I yelled to him in acknowledgement.

"Can I ask you something?" the boy called back.

"Ummm. Well sure," I answered.

"When are you going to jump in them?" he asked.

I just stood there stone faced for a moment while I absorbed the question. "When was I going to jump in them."

I started laughing at the difference in our perspectives. For me the leaves meant work that never seemed to end. For him the leaves meant a unique chance to go flying through the air.

Without his parents nearby for consent, and remembering some of the twigs that made it into that pile of leaves, I painstakingly explained to the young boy that the leaves would not be jumped in.

He was so confused. Afterall, to him jumping in them would have to be the only logical reason anyone would rake together a pile of leaves. Why else would you do it?