The Grass is Greener

As I look out on my wide variety of weeds yellowing in the hot July sun I wonder about those who spend seemingly endless resources and time cultivating the picture-perfect lawn. What prompts this particular form of neurosis? It's just grass. Why would you waste water, money, and energy on grass? OK, nobody wants an eyesore, and presentably short and reasonably green (much of the time) makes aesthetic sense, but this obsession with grass is crazy. While a perfect lawn on a lovely house may just be compulsive or status-oriented behavior, what about those little houses with the Better Homes and Garden yards? It's like those $3000 sound systems in the $300 cars you see around. For me, I mow the lawn because that's my sexist and antiquated conception of what a man, at least this man, should do. But while I see a myriad of landscaping companies around the neighborhood- always working loudly around dawn, I might add- as long as there are no petitions from the neighbors and no pets or kids lost in the grass, the lawn remains a low priority.