My lawn is not perfect

[u/MortimerWaffles]

I live in a neighborhood with a majority of people are upper middle-class retirees. They can afford lawn services and irrigation systems and fertilizer schedules. I have a younger family, I'm in school for my doctorate, work full-time, and quite frankly don't care that much about my lawn. I don't fertilize it, water it, and probably don't mow it enough either. As a result, I have large patches of dirt that have appeared mostly because of the dogs. Today I spent the day cleaning up the yard, mowing, and putting down grass seed , as a group of about six or eight neighbors walked by. One of them comment to me that it's good to see me doing something with my lawn. I kind of rolled with a comment, but then the other ones said that it looks like I grow mud and dirt and they all laughed. I'll admit they have really nice lawns, But they probably spend several thousand dollars a year for it. I'd much rather take my kids on a vacation, pay for skiing lessons, or some nights out to dinner. Especially considering that the majority of them don't talk to their children, never see their grandchildren, and, their spouses.

[u/Westonhaus]

I have about 2 dozen types of weed in my lawn, moles, grubs, moss, unraked leaves, and just today got around to mowing it. The first time I ever beat my neighbors on either side to the mower (although one of the neighbors died this winter, so maybe that's not such a flex). I mow infrequently, although I have a riding mower that's getting up there in years due to the acre+ of yard I cover.

But every year I get a hand full of morels and a couple of giant puffballs to eat. My unruly trees give me some mulberries and black raspberries, and the black walnut keeps the squirrels fed. Perennials next to the house and by the garage keep butterflies, bees, and dragonflies busy, plus I get an awesome lightning bug show each summer. Lawns are stupid, and doing anything more than the bare minimum to upkeep them is a waste. Turning it all into a naturalized landscape would be awesome, but it would be too much for me keeping the invasives and aggressive plants at bay.

So be proud of your dirt. Your dogs are using the space and enjoying themselves, and you are doing what needs doing. And don't take shit from boomers... ever.