My brother and I have been cutting grass together for seven years now. We started when we were in the seventh grade at the age of 13 with four yards. Our neighbor, our house and both sets of grandparents. Over the years, we have built up a large clientele of around 50 to 60 yards. Let me tell you, the struggle has been real.
Originally, it was just the two of us working. My twin brother, Jimmy, would run the lawn mower, and I would do all the weed whacking. We really do have a good system going for us, and the pay is not half bad. However, if there is one thing I learned from this, working with one of your siblings is complete hell.
1. WWE fights in the middle of the neighborhood
Reason numero uno is that sibling fights do occur, no matter how public they are. My entire neighborhood went from thinking that we were nice, young kids to thinking that we were utterly deranged. Well, when your body slamming your brother in some random yard, the neighbors are bound to think something is amiss.
2. "I'm your boss!"
My brother is the type of older brother who thinks that just because he is older (only by two minutes) he runs the show. I, being the independent, sarcastic person that I am, never, EVER agreed to that misguided fact. We constantly fought over who was the boss of our "business." Spoiler Alert: It was actually me.
3. "Dad, tell him that he has to work!"
When you're 13, working is the very last thing that you want to do. There were so many other things that I could have been doing, like sleeping or eating. But no, I had to go to work only because my brother would cry like a baby to my dad when I didn't want to get up to go cut one yard. Am I really to blame though?
4. Deciding who had to pay for gas this time
Neither of us wanted to spend our money on the things that were required to keep our business going i.e. gas, weed whacker string, pop, etc. Why should we, the owners of this business, have to spend our money that we worked so hard for on this stupid stuff that we didn't even want? Eventually, one of us realized that we actually needed this stuff to make this all work, so that was added to our long list of reasons as to why we would fight. Right after someone eating the last cookie.
5. Who got to drive the tractor
Being 13, we could not exactly drive yet, so we had to improvise. We bought a tractor and a little trailer that hooked up to the back and drove that around. Now, neither of us wanted to be the person to walk to the next yard, so whoever got done with the yard first jumped on the tractor and refused to move. Usually, it took a lot less time for Jimmy to finish cutting yards, so my rolly polly ass got stuck walking all over God's creation.
It wasn't my ideal job when I was 13. I hated it. I hated to cut grass. I never wanted to, and hell, I don't even really want to now. I do have to say this though, it did teach good work ethic at a young age. That's something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Also, how many other people can actually say that they were involved in a tractor trailer accident? (We flipped the trailer while driving it. I was sitting in the trailer. Fun times.)
