Well, hi everybody! I've been missing around here, not sure if anyone noticed except for a few guys looking for snake skins, but figured I'd post up because I think everyone can relate to the "detours" life throws at us.
I was excited. Yes, at 44 years of age, I'd been putting aside "myself" for 17 years to make sure my kids were priority one, as I'm sure every Dad does. But my time had come. A custom bow 8 years in the making( I bought the coco 8 years ago). I posted on this "Before and after Silvertip" as some of you may have seen. And I had the money to spend on my bow, I had the woods, and the skins. I waited a bit over a year before Beth called me. I paid it all as fast as I could, and when done, the bow was spectacular.
Problem: How about 2 herniated disks a few weeks before my bow was delivered?
Okay, s@#$ happens.
But I get the bow, (everything I dreamed of) and my back gets worse by the day. The bow is sitting there looking at me, and I cant raise my arm to grab it without vomiting from the damn pain erupting from my back. Brutal. Day in, and day out.I stick it out without pain meds as much as I can, but end up pounding them at night to sleep. Finally get insurance clearance for therapy. First session, they set the ultra sound unit at max by mistake and my lower back muscles cramp rock hard ruining the old injured area.
Okay, s#$% happens.
Cant have therapy for 2 weeks cuz of damage done. Cant get to computer, dont have lap top. People emailing me for skins, quivers, knife sheaths, antler burrs etc., and I cant walk the 20 feet to answer. My poor wife is running ragged to handle everything in our life, never mind my side stuff.
Slowly, the back starts improving, things are looking up for once. Its getting warmer out, and I open the window to breath fresh warm spring air. Pull the back a bit. Damn.
S#$% happens.
But, I fall asleep right under window, it begins raining and I'm out cold. I get wet, cold and sick. Wife gets home, scolds me and cleans me up. Three days later I'm admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
Thinking about the poor bow, unshot. Just sitting there,a work of art, probably wondering why its all alone?
S@#$ happens.
A MONTH in the darn hospital unable to take more than a 1/4 breath of air. First time in my life that I started thinking of my mortality. Am I going to die? Crap, I haven't even shot my bow!
Finally, I'm released and taken home. I've lost 35 pounds of muscle. And my hair has turned mostly gray in a few months.
S@#$ happens, i guess.
THERES MY BOW!!!! My back is not horrible, I'm weak but I think I can pull it back. Yeah, I think so. I try, and it slowly comes back to anchor. Its very hard, but I draw it back. Enough.
I bought a lightweight Abbott longbow, and start working with it. More emails about skins, I start to reply with unfortunate news that I can't do much and plenty of apologies for not being able to answer my good fellow trad folks. Most are awesome and willing to drive out here and fluff my pillows! Thanks guys ( and gal!)
A couple however...well, there are those type everywhere in life. I don't worry about them. Didnt get what they wanted the second they wanted it.
For those couple my advice is , s@#$ happens.
I should heed my own advice however, because a day before writing this I made my first trip to my freezer in the garage. My wife stays at least 5 yards from it. Its mine and my two boy's freezer. There are two whitetail buck skull/capes in it, a frozen fisher cat, a froz. beaver (roadkill but perfect), a woodcock( my oldest's 1st trad bird kill! A woodcock with a longbow!!!!! I was and am sooooooooo proud!), okay what else is in this freezer? A 9 ft red tailed boa - whole, a carpet python - whole, 12 copperheads, all 30+ inches, 22 prairie rattle snake skins..skinned but not fleshed, 5 bullsnakes( not yours Don! Jake's is tanned and waiting!), 6 diamondbacks..western, whole, 6 eastern diamondbacks, skinned but not fleshed, a green tree python, 6 red fox pelts skinned and frozen, 2 wild silver fox, 3 large racoons and 10 whole frozen white weasels.
Hey, whats that smell? Why is there a huge puddle under my freezer?
Yes my friends....it was not plugged in. For over a week, minimal. What a stink, non salvageable.
When I was in the hospital, I guess a huge hockey game with the neighborhood kids took place in my garage. Somehow the freezer cord was snagged and yanked out of the outlet.
S@#$ happens? How much s@#$ are we talking about here? I think I've had more than my fair share but it just keeps getting dumped!
Soooo, here I am. I have no inventory. I'm still physically messed up but mending! I've lost a lot of $$ in inventory, but I've always done this for fun more than for income so I'm far from ruined.
Just put back a bit.
But I've got a smile on my face my friends! My wife and kids are healthy! I'm on the mend! I've got 22 bows here right now, including my Abbott healing bow and my awaiting Tip.
I've got it MADE!!!!!!!!
Good shooting to you all, I'll be back soon to skinning bows and making quivers.
Only thing is.......
I'm thinking on changing my handle from YORNOC to "s@#$ happens"...any ideas?
Topic: "Detours" in the life of a trad archer...Read if you can!!!!. (Read 1641 times)
