Grass Trimmer

I had it out with the Grass Trimmer this morning.  I preached yesterday at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church and I have some thoughts about this that I will share later this week.  It always helps me to let things ruminate in my mind first before putting them down on paper.  But first, the grass trimmer.

I needed a new grass trimmer so Michael and I went to get one this weekend.  He has a friend knowledgeable about such things who suggested several different kinds, one being Echo. I've gone through two already so it was clear I needed a good one.  I really prefer an electric one since gas really does a number on the environment but this one was gas and after a few minutes thinking about it, I decided to get it.


This is a picture of the instruction manual.  Well it actually had two different manuals both in many different languages.  I figured out this was the one I needed. Now for the hard part: trying to understand them.

I don't follow written manuals very well when they have anything to do with mechanical things.  I've always had trouble using them but since my TBI, it is even worse. It especially is hard when I'm dealing with something I know nothing about, such as a grass trimmer.

It had the normal page with the parts labeled with numbers and then one went to a map to figure out what each part was.  I could never remember what each label meant so I had to keep turning the pages back and forth.  After figuring out how to switch it on, I had to read how to start the darn thing.

My electric one was easy to figure out.  I just pushed a button and it started.  Not so with this one.  It had a start switch, throttle trigger, choke, recoil starter and other things I didn't even need to start it.  The manual said to turn the switch on, pump bulb, pull throttle trigger, pull the recoil starter, hold the trigger and then it should start. The problem was, I then had to turn the page to find out what the labels meant since I always forgot.  Well, I think that's what it said.  In any case, it didn't start.  So I went to the manual again.

Actually I was trying to balance the manual on my lap while I was going through the instructions so I could look back at it.  You see I don't remember steps too things well.  If someone is around it is easier just to ask them to do it since they can usually remember the steps.  However, I was alone so I decided to ask Michael when he got home later today. I really wanted to do it this morning and I knew the last thing he would want to do when he got home from work was to figure out how to use a grass trimmer. Plus, I don't like depending on people so I tried to remember what's helped me in situations like this in the past.

That's when I thought about writing down the pertinent steps on a card.  (You can see the card in the picture above.)  It took me a while to do this because I had to wade through the directions and I kept forgetting what I had to do next.  But after following the directions on the card, I was able to start it.  I was so happy but it stopped once at the beginning which meant pulling out the card again.  After a couple of tries, I got it chugging.

However, when I was on the side of the house, it ran out of gas so I had to fill it up and start it again.  I could feel myself getting agitated so I took a few minutes break before I tried it again. In fact, due to mental fatigue, all the way through I took a breaks just to rest my brain.  I didn't bother with ear plugs but played around on Facebook for a few minutes. Just doing something else seems to help my brain rest so it can work better on the project. 

This whole process took me a long time to do. I think it takes folks who have disabilities much longer to do many things.  In our world, this can be problematic because everyone is so busy and wants to get things done quickly.  I think probably too busy, but that's another story!  This is definitely a place where people who have disabilities can teach those without, how to live a much richer life.