Hey, let’s clean up the yard – a story by Dan Osvat

Waking up to an ever-increasingly divided world, where unity feels like a relic of the past and polarization shapes our future. One view against another—everyone’s morally outraged, but instead of coming together to tackle world hunger, disease, poverty, or actual global crises, we’re caught in endless online battles, arguing with digital neighbors like our personal sense of moral injustice is the most pressing issue of the day.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, my actual neighbors are just living—going to work, prepping for spring, burning weeds. And that had me laughing this weekend as I drove through the villages.

Because in so many ways, Romania feels like the reservation.

The same practical approach to life, the same unwritten rules, and yes, the same fire-starting traditions. Back home, we always called it the “Indian Lawnmower”—a quick and easy way to clear out the old, dead grass, get the land ready for new growth. It’s a practical, time-tested way to clean up the yard, but let’s be honest—more homes have gone up in flames than I’d like to admit because of it.

It always starts off innocent enough—a few buddies over, a couple of beers… maybe three, four… and then suddenly, someone gets a bright idea:

“Hey, let’s clean up the yard.”

Next thing you know, half the property is on fire, the wind picks up, and the pompierii (firefighters) are rolling in, shaking their heads, writing fines, and wondering how people haven’t learned by now. You drive through and see the aftermath—vast stretches of land, once golden and overgrown, now nothing but blackened soot.

And yet, despite the destruction, this cycle is starting to make my heart yearn again—not for the scorched fields, but for the lush green ones I know are coming. This is just part of the rhythm now. Spring is on its way.

Finally, it’s time to rid the land of this dull, grayish landscape. This winter felt like it dragged on forever—no snow, just the same drab countryside stretching endlessly. At least here, in my little corner of Cluj, change is in the air.

So while the world keeps arguing over who’s more morally right, I’ll be out here watching the fields turn green again, knowing that, for all the chaos, some cycles remain the same.

As always, just my thoughts and opinions.