Healthy Dirt

    Does mowing the lawn keep a person healthy?
    The man in the photo, close to one hundred years old at the time, still mowed his lawn. He was healthier than most people his age.
    I also push a mower. It kicks up dirt, dust, and all sorts of bacteria. Filth cakes my body. When I shower afterwards, water flows with blackness.
    Researchers theorize that when children play in the dirt, or stuff dirt into their mouths, they’re developing their immune systems.
    I am 59 years old. My health remains good. I'm not taking meds. And once per week, while behind a mower, I breath in gobs of airborne dirt.
    My gut tells me that exposure to dirt contributes to the health of adults.