Ten years ago we moved into our house. Being cheap, and at the time a bit skint, we did it the hard way, by ourselves with some help from family.
One of wifey’s cousins watched my father work the entire day, until all the heavy lifting was done, and commented, “Your dad never stops.” He was 80 at the time.
Yes, and 80 year old man worked a bunch of people in their 20’s and 30’s into the ground. The only one who kept up with him, step for step, was me (at 45).
I replied something to the effect that that was simply the way he was. You work until the job is done.
I got to thinking about this today as my sons and I shoveled about 10 inches of wet, heavy global warming. The only one who kept up with me was my nine y/o. Kids one and two (15 and 12) both had to take breaks.
When we were done with our shoveling, kid three and I went next door to help them, and then next door again, to help them. When all was done, my friends J and J thanked me and J (the dude) said he was off to have a hot bath for his back.
Then kid three went to lie down with a heat pack under his spine.
Sure, I did a bit of yoga to stretch out the tight muscles of my lumbar, and realign my spine from the twisting, but even after 90 minutes of serious, hard work, I’m ready to keep going.
A lifetime of movement, of fitness, of activity, of simple stubbornness, has me physically more robust than men 20 years my junior.
Just like Dad.
