why are your front lawns such a mess?

PinkFridge

Wed, Apr 13 2016, 10:34 am

You could ask the question: I've been to neighborhoods - and this could be any city on the planet with a concentrated Jewish community; we do tend to cluster - where people just don't seem to take care of or pride in their lawns and property. Every time I [pass by], I shake my head. Overgrown weeds, toys and garbage everywhere, just awful. It's so embarrassing. You don't have to have money to mow your lawn and throw the toys in the back. The non-frum people joke that they always know when they are on a "frum" street because of the state of [the] front lawns! Can we discuss this please?

I would been uncomfortable and sad about the situation but would not have found the post objectionable.

greenfire

Wed, Apr 13 2016, 11:12 am

amother wrote:

... How do you know you aren't looking at a home with a sick parent who doesn't have the money to pay to cut grass? How do you know the owner isn't elderly and pushing a lawn mower is very difficult? How do you know there aren't two full time working parents who are just very over whelmed and short on cash?

Basically, refocus if the only thing on your mind is chillul hashem. Don't judge the person's messy yard until you are in his place. Your yard may come second if you were in his place.

gotta love this line ...

WastingTime

Wed, Apr 13 2016, 12:08 pm

amother wrote:

Every time I visit, I shake my head. Overgrown weeds, toys and garbage everywhere, just awful. It's so embarrassing. You don't have to have money to mow your lawn and throw the toys in the back. The non-frum people joke that they always know when they are on a "frum" street because of the state of your front lawns!

Every time I visit this site when there are posts like this I shake my head. Why can't people just worry about their own (emotional) garbage and stop worrying about everyone else. Maybe if everyone was perfect with immaculate lawns it would leave nothing to complain abt and life would be a complete bore....

thunderstorm

Wed, Apr 13 2016, 1:45 pm

OP, it has bothered me too and I am now the only jew on my own block and beginning to understand it a little. I work really hard to keep my 3/4 if acre clean. But a landscaper is not in my budget. We purchased a lawn mower and we literally spend about 2 hours in the back yard and an hour in the front to mow the grass each time. A few weeks ago storms blew through and many branches and twigs fell down and every day I spend 15 minutes picking up twigs....but we are K"AH busy people, with children and we both work 9-5...I spent my Sundays cleaning for Pesach the last few weeks and it just gets harder and harder to maintain the outdoors. Of course we NEVER allow garbage or papers to be left strewn on the property, but just pulling weeds and cutting grass is extremely time consuming and not always weather permitting.
My non jewish neighbors on the other hand have ALL Shabbos to do yard work...I watch them and this is what they do literally all Shabbos and parts of Sunday. Us lucky jews dont have that option so we try to do our best to create a kiddush Hashem and cut our grass as often as we can.