Reliability

In the spring of 1983 my Dad took me to Crocker's Hardware in LeRoy to pick up our new Toro lawnmower. Being 16 at the time, it was not like getting a car but since the lawn was my responsibility, I was nonetheless glad for the upgrade from the old Dynamark mower that I had put through its paces and actually had painted flames on during what must have been a boring summer day.
The Toro was quite the machine, with it's alloy deck, Suzuki two-stroke engine, and rear bag. What I liked most about the new mower was that it started on the first or second pull each and every time.
In the spring of 1998 I bought the old Toro from Dad for $35. What impressed me now was that at 15 years old, it still started on the first or second pull.
Today, I went out to mow my lawn and as you may have guessed, the old girl started on the very first pull. Now I no more enjoy mowing the lawn now than I did at any other time, but there is a certain satisfaction that when I pull that cord, she is going to spring to life. As silly as it sounds, I see the Toro as an extension of what I strive to be...reliable. When someone calls on me to help, I want them to have that same quiet confidence that I will get the job done. As my family will attest it is sometimes to a fault that I will endeavor to please others, but in the end there is an undeniable comfort in knowing you made a difference no matter how large or small.
Each week from April to October for the last 27 years, I have been pulling that same rope with the same results, and it makes me feel as though that mower is a part of me, not in how the rubber pull handle fits my fingers, rather in how the machine's essence reflects what I hope to always be...reliable.