 |
| Just imagine this fella with gray hair & an eye patch - That's gonna be me in a few years...ain't grandma gonna be proud she's hitched to me ! |
By some folks way of thinkin’ I’m not right in the head…boy I hope my wife doesn’t read this article ‘cause, with an opening remark like that, I’ve really thrown open the door for comments that I might not want to hear! My ultimate goal in life is to become an old Grump. What I mean is - to my way of thinkin’ I don’t have any intention of slowing down as I grow into my old age. I don’t particularly like watching any TV or sports (we don’t even have it at our house). I don’t care for sittin’ around doing much of anything unless it’s around a campfire with trapping, hunting, or fishing planned for the next morning.
You see, with my boys I plan on hunting, fishing & trapping in the Ozarks, Rockies, Alaska and in all the wild places of this great continent well into my 80’s & 90’s. So, I’m trying to eat right, work out, and keep myself in shape so that I can become that crusty, grumpy old codger that lives on borrowed time 25 years longer than most folks expected (…or wanted! HA!). That’s my whole reason for exercising – I want to live in the Great Outdoors until I keel over at 91 (or 101…fingers crossed) years old in the Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska while pulling traps after a great season on the trap line with my boys. What a great ending to a great life in the Great Outdoors!
 |
A great personal goal - Continually workin' on being old enough & deserving of this coffee cup. |
 |
| You go brother - wear it like a badge of honor! |
I’ve both known & read about the type of folks this description portrays. The old grump that is set in his ways, easily abrasive with his opinion, unyielding with his children with his throw-back principles, a constant trial for his wife’s patience, and an outspoken dissident toward government…man, am I going to be pleasant when I get old or what! To make sure I reach my goals I’ve started working out and eating right. My son, Alex and I get up each morning and walk 2 miles and run 1 mile. I’ve cut out soda completely and I’m working on cutting sugar out of my diet…that’s kinda tough these days. I’m consuming more vegetables and fruit – mostly from our garden. It sure is easier to eat all those nutritious staples when you planted and grew it yourself. Also, the garden is a great source of exercise (mostly for my wife…but I’ll never admit it to her that she does more in the garden than I do!)
 |
| The older I get the more I realize that this is definitely my flag! |
My wife and kids think I’ve already made it to my ultimate goal. I’ve been accused of being crazy in my thoughts about speeding into old age. This morning as Alex and I were walking down a country road I told him when I’m an old man, if I’m lucky enough to pass while we’re in the woods, leave me there. I was never meant for a box in the ground. As a matter of fact I despise the thought. The way I figure it, I’m of this world and I want to go back to being a productive part of nature as soon as possible…according to my wife a multiflora rose bush or thistle will probably be the only plant the dirt from my old bones will grow! Man, if I wasn’t well on my way to being a crusty old Grump without feelings that kind of a comment might wound my inner child!
Multiflora rose bush…hmmm, I kinda like that. As long as you leave it alone, from a distance it’s kinda nice, but try to walk over it or through it and you’ll soon discover you’ve got into a scrape with a nasty old critter! In the eternal words of our founding father revolutionaries - Don't Tread On Me! Well, that’s my goal…and I must be well on my way because at 44 years old my wife says I’m definitely already acting the part! So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly.
No comments:
Post a Comment