I Learned Everything That I Know About Snow Shoveling From My Neighbor

When we first moved into our house, I had someone plow our driveway and shovel our walkways. Then, three years ago, I took over the snow removal duties myself due to the pandemic and being home all of the time. My first season didn’t go well. I had no idea what I was doing. I would shovel at the wrong times, I would shovel haphazardly, I would get the snowblower stuck, and occasionally I would slip and fall. One day, though, I noticed that my neighbor always had their driveway clear. They somehow were in tune with nature, timed it well, and then always efficiently removed the snow. This year, I vowed to get it right. We had a lighter-than-normal winter, so I didn’t get much practice, but I closely observed my neighbor’s technique. I would also go out to shovel as soon as they started their driveway. I picked up on the clue this year during the last nor’easter storm. You start with a strip down the middle and then work the sides. Oh, my. This was a game-changer. It turns out the secret was middle-out shoveling.

One day, I will let my neighbor know that they are my secret snow shoveling yogi.

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