How old os too old to split your own?

[Bone1099]

I recently heard my dad tell a story about splitting wood for my great grandmother. This was several years ago, at the time she must have been near 80 years old. I remember when I was a kid she was always fussing at us for doing things for her. She said she didnt want to be a burden on us. My dad was working on her wood pile when she came out the back door and said "come on in its time to eat and dont worry with that wood daddy will come over and take care of it tomorrow". Her daddy was about 100 years old at the time and he for the most part still split his own wood and hers too. My dad and grandad dad would cut trees and take them over to my great grandmother and her dads house. Usually it would get dark on them before it was all split and usually it would get split on them before they returned. My dad said when he went to help pa split his wood pa insisted on helping, and when he got to a knotty stick he would tell him "pa just leave that one and i will get to it in a few minutes" pa told him "i dont guess ive left one standin' yet" He split his own wood and dug his own garden until he was 102 and passed at 104. He was much of a man

 

[Lumber-Jack]

It would be nice to live to be that old and still be spliiting wood and gardening, probably had a lot to do with why he lived so long.

 

[gzecc]

My father is 97, still lives by himself and drives. Uses a walker because his knees are bad. He would crawl up stairs if he needs to.

 

[Duetech]

You're never too old to split wood but that doesn't mean you can't become incapable. Other than that though I would think that "deciding" your too old is probably the first step to proving it. (The world of automation though can make it easy to think we are too old and may humble us to a way of inactivity that allows the inability to set in. At that point we usually know what we believed all along. We "were" too old for that)

 

[quads]

Wow, to still be splitting firewood at 100! I can only hope, not that it's really that far off.

 

[Duetech]

Wow, to still be splitting firewood at 100! I can only hope, not that it's really that far off.

Kind of makes one feel whimpy when we complain and haven't even broke the 60's.

 

[wayneg]

I'll be 52 in a few months. I split about 4 full cords each year by hand. As I have gotten older, I find I split for less time in any one outing. I just quit for the day when I'm tired or my back/neck/elbow, knee, wrist, starts to bark. I plan to keep this up for as long as I can.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Most of that has to do with genes. We've all seen folks who seem to do much in their old age yet others seem to be old way before their time. Of course we don't know what has happened in their lives either, which can also make a big difference.

One person may have had an accident in their youth or mid-life and because of the injury can no longer do the things he wants to. Another may have had a bad heart. Another may have had a childhood disease that affected him for life. We just never know.

These older folks who seem to be able to do a lot are to be admired and congratulated.....but not put on a pedestal either. Perhaps they have just been lucky. After all, how many folks even live to see 100, or even 90? And I must say that I do admire the older folks who just want to do things for themselves. They are better off for it too.

I have people telling me over and over that I should "act my age" and start taking it easy. Why? Well, for one reason, I have Post Polio syndrome and I am 67 years old. Post polio people say to conserve. I say bull! When I have it and can use it, I will. This year I have rode my bicycle over 3,000 miles. Last winter I cut, split and stacked 9 full cord of wood. We plant about 1/2 acre into vegetable garden, etc., etc.

The point I am trying to make is that we all (hopefully all) do what we can with what we have. Some are blessed and can do more for a longer period of time. Some have had some bad luck along the way. Some have done some stupid things and now pay for it. Let's all just keep on doing what we are capable of doing.

Another thing I always hate to hear is that, "If I can do it, anybody can." With that philosophy, then I should be able to become another Brett Farve! After all, if he can do it, anybody can. Or on my bike I should be able to win the Race Across America which is over 3,000 mile race from ocean to ocean and the clock does not stop until you reach the end. Heck, if they can do it, so can I.... Or could I? Think about that the next time you are tempted to say that, "anybody can do it."

Sorry about the rant.