I know that a number of us Monkeys are getting on up there in years and I want to urge y'all to be careful when engaging in any physical activities. Heart attacks, strokes, back and joint injuries, heatstroke, sunstroke, etc. are just waiting for the careless Monkey. A 62-year-old man here locally died of a massive heart attack after unloading a pallet of mulch. His family had a history of heart problems, with his father, uncle and brother dying at the same general age. It doesn't matter what you could do 20 years ago, or even last year, pace yourself! It rarely has to be done right now, tomorrow or next week will do. Or just hire someone to do it, this family had money and could have hired a bunch of young Mexican to have done the job.in a day. And for GOD's sake if you don't feel "right" call 911, don't call your daughter and tell her to come over... All that being said, i spent the last two days running a chainsaw cleaning up storm debris, hauling and stacking firewood in the barn, hauling small stuff to the burn pile, and I even split some firewood from last summer. I'm a little sore and tired, and glad to be back at work, but I could have made a 4 day job out of it.
I can't say you've said anything wrong here . But hard headedness is embedded in some of us folks . I'm not discounting anything you've said ,, My Dad died in 2010 ,, heart problem. He'd had quadruple heart surgery,, 15 + years or so earlier ,, defibrillator installed , sometime later. He never really said anything ,, but was feeling bad for about a week ,, finally got to the point that he decided to go to the hospital. The next 2-3 days he being treated in the hospital,, things were looking good. I was with him one night after work ,, he was doing good ,, we talked for a while ,, then he said I needed to get home and take care of my Mom ,, he was supposed to be released the next morning. The next morning,, he had some kind of attack,, and died . There's more I could add to the story ,, which could have been a serious lack of care ,, by the hospital and nurses ,, but that's irrelevant here ,, but ,, definitely,, if you're not feeling right ,, then something ain't right ,,, none of us are a Superman ,, go get checked out ,, them few extra days you might possibly get , could be priceless for all those involved.
I'm thinking of putting a sign in the barn that says, "YOU'RE GETTING OLD! SLOW DOWN, ASK FOR HELP, HIRE IT DONE, OR DON'T DO IT!"!
I hear ya, it sucks getting old. I do try to keep up on some physical activity to keep me relatively healthy. I'm due for another CAC scan, had one 3 years ago so I'm interested to see how much my arteries have either deteriorated or if they have stayed the same. I spent all day last Saturday spreading 6 yards of mulch, then Sunday was general yard work, work in the garden, putzing around the yard, all in all I spent all day outside for 2 days straight. Sunday night I was beat and went to bed early, a little sore on Monday but a quick 3mile walk and I was feeling better. Just gotta keep somewhat active and eating better than the "standard american diet".
I've been telling the wife that all week! I say, "Look, I need to slow down, I'm old and worn out so...' She replies, "You get your fat, lazy a$$ out to the garden and start digging!"
I still remember my old battalion commander, a 60+ man who was properly fit and ran faster than every 18 year old soldier, he was a monster. I used that as a primer to always try to stay fit. I can still pass an APFT at the 18-21 year old Airborne standard...but I feel it now. That's the difference with getting old.
I turned 60 my last birthday and damn if it isn't like a switch flipped. The knees and the back have decided that I will pick up nothing heavy or stand too long on concrete. The abuse I have dished out over the years has decided to collect it seems.
Just turned 55 this last fall, and boy do I feel it, Gettin Old Ain't for Pussies! Spent the weekend getting the fields mowed down to the summer levels, and scalped the runway and then scraped it with the rake attachment before rolling it to harden it up. After that, I disked out all the gardens for the wife, tilled the ruff, and then bladed it out flat for her to harrow as she feels! By sunday night, I was wiped out, and I still have all week worth of work to get to. Monday I was supposed to be chasing the closer fire roads, basically run the skidder up there at speed and roll over everything with the blade about 6 inches off the ground, then go back over it and grapple anything that didn't break off and pile it up in the many areas I have established for mulching later. After that gets done, I go back through and fell anything that needs felling, and then buck it and yard it till I get around to bunking it and hauling it down to run through the drying shed/stacks. This weekend, I get to start over with the mowing, only just the yard and upper field around the buildings and house, then spray the weeds and swap to the mulching head and get ready for a weekend of strait mulching, about 30 acres worth, which usually take all week to do the old way! Then I gotta service the Mitsubishi and get it ready for high speed ripping as we get close to fire season, which also means getting everything else ready, the bladders mounted in the dump trailer and hooked up to the Pacific, the Water tank installed on the Forwarder, and the blades flipped on both Forwarder and Skidder! Time sure does fly, and I find I may be close to needing to hire some help, I cannot keep running this place by my onesome, there's just too damn much for a Not so young Feller to keep up with, and when I miss a day cause I'm sore and tired, or flat worn out, then I get behind and it ain't gonna magically get done if I don't get off my ass and do it, damn the pains and aches! Wife poured a couple shots of whisky in my cofveve this morning to help me along, Damn what a woman, that got me through clear till noon, and a big ol hank of cheese and loaf of fresh Russian black bread and summer sausage for lunch, and damn if I wasn't feeling ok for the rest of the day, hand full of ibuprofen and a baby aspirin and I should sleep most of the night!
It definitely affects my survival strategy. When I started it was about me and mine. I'm now too old for that. Instead it's about my neighborhood and community. It's about using my knowledge and resources to to help as many as I can before I can no longer survive. Your value post SHTF is what you can contribute. I'm no longer a shooter or a grower. My contribution is knowledge and resources. I won;t realistically last a year if things break down. That;s OK - this isn't the real life anyway.
With the kids only visiting from out of town a few times a year, everything is on me. I like it that way and can see that retirement will be more of the same, just with more time for porch sitting, bike rides and running on the beach. I'll never stop doing what has to be done, because there's nobody else who does it to my sometimes questionable standard. I just have to pace myself and watch where I step.
59 here, just got my second new knee last month then ready to get back at it!! Hauling hay, planting a garden, planting flowers, etc. - oh and still working full time. I need a nap....
That you are going to die, is a fact of life. Bible says, "It is appointed man once to die and after that the judgment." To be clear I am 74 and have lived longer than I had expected. Not because of a lifestyle but just the odds of one's existence. Growing up and participating in a church with very old people I went to funerals often, on top of that there were many in our family that passed away at every stage of life, all different. Preparing one's self to die should be as important as preparing ones self to live. IMO the most important prep is having one's life right with God. God intervenes in my life all the time and gives me guidance in all I do. Though I am not perfect, God is very patient with me because I know I need His lordship and influence in my life all the time. A man that disregards God, looses out in this life and in the next.
Well said @arleigh. Amen. Many days my faith is the only thing that gets me through. I know I didn't do it alone.
I will be 71 in a couple months and have decided to retire. Far too much has happened in my life in the past 6-7 months and my head has been filled with, sorrow. In July, I lost my step daughter. She wasn't in the best of health, but still. In October, I lost my dear wife, ten days later my father passed away, and to top it all off, my favorite aunt passed away in December. Have been feeling a bit beat up, sad, and distracted. Yes, getting old is not easy!
My Dad always said grumpy old men are grumpy because so many of their friends and family are gone. Now he is gone and I get grumpier every day.
