Concert in the Garden

Over the weekend I was busy with a landscaping project. I was removing 16 small diseased Azalea bushes from my front garden. I was using all the typical gardening tools; a gas powered edger to clean up the garden bed, a shovel to dig up the plants, a fan rake the empty spot over with mulch and an I-Pod with fast tempo “pick-me-up” music to make the chore go by faster.

About an hour into the project I was in a zone. Lost in my own world of dirt and mulch and the music. It was just me and the music doing the landscaping. I was edging a little faster to the Counting Crows. I was digging to the beat of Peter Gabriel. And I was rocking the rake to Dave Matthews. I took a step back, while holding the rake, to catch my breath and survey the next section of the garden. Dave Matthews “Grave Digger” began playing on the I-Pod. This song is a very moody song that starts slow and picks up pace.

Without realizing what I was doing, like I said I was in a zone, I was playing the air guitar. Well actually I was playing the rake like it was guitar, my head slightly rocking back and forth to the beat. Half singing, half humming the lyrics.
Gravedigger,
When you dig my grave

“Bill.” I faintly hear my name being called. Someone in the crowd holding up a lighter.

Make it shallow,
So that I can feel the rain.

“Bill” My named called again only slightly louder than the first. The fans were digging the tune.

Little Mikey Carson 67 to 75
He rode his bike like the devil
Until the day he died.

BILL!” Someone was calling me.

I was immediately transported back to my front lawn. I turned around, still strumming the rake to see the lady from up the street trying to get my attention from her van. I acted like I was just trying to remove debris from the rake.

My face, it was already red from working.