The lawn mower and the rock

There are a few things my father taught me as a child that have really stuck with me through life.

1. Never walk behind a horse.

2. Stay inside when someone is mowing the lawn.

3. Look behind you before casting your fishing line.

He taught me many other things as well, but these 3 come in handy more than you might think.

As a child we were always threatened by what might happen if the lawn mower picked up a rock and flung it while we were playing outside. I spent hours and hours as a kid picking up sticks and toys and rocks off the lawn in preparation for my Dad to mow it.

Well, at 24 years old I finally got a real life demonstration of what exactly a lawn mower and a rock could do.

This is the back of our car. The lawn mower threw a TINY rock through the window and SHATTERED the entire thing. You can't really see it, but the whole window was completely shattered and had to be knocked out so we could drive it to the repair place. I doubt anyone could get the same effect by throwing a rock 3x that size at the window. There was some major force behind that little piece of gravel.

I am grateful that now I have a child, I have been reminded of the importance of staying away from the lawnmower just in time to enjoy a very safe summer. I hope this is a great reminder to everyone.