Guest Post by Hardscrabble Farmer
It has been several weeks since my accident and in the aftermath of the operation to repair my badly damaged foot I have been confined to a bed on the first floor of our home. I had recently repainted it and put in a bed for guests without realizing it would serve as a my residence for next three or four months while the bones and flesh healed. The doctors were honest with me about the prognosis, considering my age and the severity of the injury and over the last few days I have emerged from the haze of perpetual anesthesia and come to accept my fate.
Like I have told my children for as long as I can remember, only the flexible survive, and so it is with a degree of both resignation and the acceptance of reality that I have begun to plan for whatever lies ahead. Beside the bed there are stacks of books, many sent by friends who read these posts, as well as the gifts I received for Christmas and I have half a dozen going at any given moment. I have a splendid view to both the south and the east, although from my perspective all I can see is the sky and the tops of the trees, but it is both beautiful and inspiring. I have finally begun to write like a full time writer, something I have never had the chance to do before; 500 words in the morning, another 500 words in the evening, and the numerous email and postcard correspondences that are long past due.
My oldest son put a small television with a Roku firestick on a side table at the far end of the room and when I get tired of reading and writing it has given me the opportunity to watch endless hours of online videos that have both distracted and enlightened me. My favorites are the collections of shows that run up my preferred alley; primitive construction techniques, antique tool restoration, archaeology lectures, conspiracy theories, old episodes of television series from the 60’s and 70’s, people getting hurt doing stupid things and whatever Youtube thinks I might like based on what I have already watched. To say it has been an education is an understatement.
It has been quite an adjustment to surrender my normal routine of tending to livestock and working on the land to turning on my left side and then back on my right in space not much larger than kayak as my physical exercise for the day. I can do crunches and I have a 10 pound dumbbell, but beyond that there is little I can do for myself. My wife brings me my meals and drinks and sits with me in the evening to talk about her day. My friends have stopped by to visit or to help with chores and bring me things to eat. I’ve gotten so many kind gifts, thoughtful letters and words of encouragement that I hardly know how to respond other than to continue to share the things I have been dwelling on as long as I am able.
So let’s get to those observations.
One of the most riveting offerings I stumbled across was a series of clips of arrests by police in modern America. Years ago when I was a stand-up I made fun of a television show called Cops, offering the audience a tip that should they decide to flee the police in flip-flops, the last place to hide is under the kiddie pool. Apparently that format continues and the vast majority of the clips provided came from either dash cameras or the ones that police wear on their gear. The rest were a mix of old Cops clips (or some similar television show), random cell cam videos posted by bystanders or fixed security camera shots. I didn’t keep track but I bet I watched at least several hundred of these and by the time I grew bored I had noticed several unmistakable patterns in both the police behaviors as well as those apprehended that I would like to share.
Tasers work. I know that there are some people out there that weigh three hundred pounds and have just smoked a half ounce of bath salts that might not go down immediately, but for the vast majority of the human species it’s about as effective as a captive bolt gun on a steer. They go down. Hard. Most of the cops I watched only use them after a stern warning-“I’m gonna taze you!”- but a few, almost always female police officers, seemed to use them as a warning. One small, overweight womanish looking police person fired into a guy and continued to squeeze the trigger until backup arrived. She seemed to use it as a form of physical restraint, clearly unhappy with the disparity in height and size of her perp and he was laid out on the floor of the 7-11 with his limbs tensed up like English longbows whimpering like a baby. I rarely feel compassion for the criminal class, but in this case he was tortured. Advice to the wise; if they say they are going to taze you, stop running.
Minorities commit the majority of the crimes. I know, I know, we’re not supposed to notice, it’s racist, but there were simply too many video clips, from too many sources over too wide a swath of the American landscape to hide the undeniable. Police get a call on a stolen car, domestic dispute, carjacking, violent altercation, strong arm robbery or drug deal and in 75 to 80% of the cases the people they wind up apprehending are non-White. Oh there are plenty of Caucasian criminals out there, lots of video collections proudly include the words ‘redneck’ and ‘hillbilly’ in their titles and they had certainly account for their share of criminal activity, but not in relation to their percentage of the population. They all had one thing in common though, 100% of the White perps wore tattoos, no exceptions. However it was almost always Blacks, followed closely by Mexican and Central Americans caught red handed. Asians, to their credit seem to toe the line legally, but when they were presented they almost always pulled the “No speaky Engrish” line to dodge culpability. Clever.
Criminals never tell the truth. I understand not wanting to cop to something you’ve just been accused of, it’s probably human nature, but in every single case in every single episode and every single arrest not one person seemed capable of uttering a single word of truth about anything. Their name, relationship to the person sitting in their passenger seat, the drugs in their underwear, the gun under their front seat, the third stolen car they’ve been found in that week by the same cop the color of their shirt, birth date, criminal history. No entreaty, no tone, no evidence, no pleading could persuade any of them to say anything that wasn’t a blatant falsehood. Lies, lies and more lies is the hallmark of the lawbreaker and I came to wonder if it was a chicken or the egg type of situation. Do liars incline towards criminality or does being a crook require perfidy? I don’t know and after watching these people, I don’t care, but it is a good indicator for those who pay attention to the warning signs.
Stupid T-Shirts Maketh the Man. I Heart Meth. F the Cops. Stupid Is As Stupid Does. Ask Me About My Goat. Hooters. Pictures of guns, Happy Face with a bullet hole in its forehead- you get the picture. Every. Damn. Time. That or shirtless. Or naked. I was kind of surprised at how many people thought that stripping off all their clothes would somehow absolve them of guilt after a prolonged foot chase, but it must be a thing. For those who remained clothed it was as if they got their attire from an edgy 10 year old with a ‘tude.
Limited Vocabulary. I suppose we all know that the majority of crooks who get caught are congenitally stupid, and the really smart ones are all in D.C., but when I say that these guys have a stunted word hoard I’m not joking. They make the arresting officers sound like Jordan Peterson. They say that the average American has a working vocabulary of 20,000 words but when it comes to the kinds of people who wind up in the back of the squad car in handcuffs, I’d be willing to bet their word count is stuck in the 2K range. One of my favorite was an obese women who simply would not allow the cop to give her a ticket until he was forced to taser her (remember what I said about tasers? It was true for her, too). She was mumbling so much I wasn’t sure if she even spoke English, but once she was cuffed she began a refrain of “I’m a sue, I’m a sue, I’m a sue!” that ran a good five minutes without let up. And I bet she hit the lottery off that tape.
Crime Pays. One of the unmistakable observations of the law enforcement community is the reality that while they ostensibly keep the streets safe for the law abiding citizen, their primary purpose is to collect revenue. They feed the system with a constant stream of detainees that must pay a seemingly endless list of penalties and fees, not to mention justify the parasitical class of jurists, bondsmen and lawyers who feed off the misery and failure of others. What I didn’t realize, somewhat naively, was that no one really stays in prison no matter what they do, rather it is a revolving door that operates a never ending catch and release program for malignant predators at the expense of the community.
One suspect, a Mexican with a face full of tats and zero English was apprehended for his 8th grand theft auto. If he was 25 I’d be surprised and yet there he was, out on the street in yet another stolen car. Is there even a penalty for a crime of that nature? How can someone get flipped back out on the street with a string of 8 felonies in less than seven years unless they want them out there, keeping the system running. I also noticed that while cops have, on average, become just as tatted as the perps they have been outfitted with the very latest in technology, carrying devices that can automatically debit people’s bank accounts in order to pay fines on the spot. Smooth. Add to that the enormous wads of cash pulled from multiple pockets of young people who can barely speak English at virtually every traffic stop and you start to wonder, “Am I a schmuck for being a good person, and where can I get a shirt like that?”
I think a lot of people who watch these things do it for the ‘but for the grace of God’ aspect of seeing some poor doofus getting pepper sprayed and bum rushed to the pavement, but for those who try and keep their finger on the pulse of our decline it is a eye-opening experience.
In part two we’ll look at the revelations of having watched over fifty episodes of a BBC program about archaeologists digging holes across the English countryside. It is not what you’d expect. At all.
ADMIN NOTE: Send get well cards, etc. to:
Marc Moran
Hopewell Farm
3 South Rd
Newbury, New Hampshire 03255
https://www.facebook.com/NewburyFarmer/
Hardfarmer , glad to hear you are doing ok. I thought about you but didn’t know what or if I could do anything. If I had your ” get in touch with Hardfarmer ” p.o.box I would at least send you a get well card. Anyway take care and don’t let that TV get you depressed.
Just listened to an old Zman podcast wondering about people who read the first couple paragraphs of an article, skip the rest, then comment. Like those book reviewers that can write a review without reading the book. Hmmmm
Feel better HF, its a beautiful thing to have a family that cares. Happy New Year from the hedge fund ghetto of bergen county.
So glad to hear how you are doing and that your home and recuperating and adjusting to your new environment. May you find encouragement and strength to heal as quickly as you can. Your years of kindness and caring for others has prepared you to be able to accept the kindness and support from your friends and family; you will have a great many challenges ahead, but you will make it through all of them with the prayers and support of those dear ones around you.
I’m looking forward to seeing your curiosity and creativity unleashed in your upcoming writings, if you don’t mind throwing out a teaser every now and then, it would be most welcome. Take care of yourself and don’t rush things, stay strong and be well!
“Like I have told my children for as long as I can remember, only the flexible survive”
Of course, they don’t either. No one here gets out alive.
Several years ago I was in an accident where I was in a wheelchair for 4 months (acetabular fracture). Although in continuing discomfort I otherwise get along reasonably normally.
True, but life throws up challenges and the best approach to whatever comes along to alter your plans or your life is to adapt. My family has to accept all the responsibilities and duties that I carried on my back before this happened. The best course of action is for all of us to make whatever changes we have to so that we come out of this stronger. At least that’s the plan. So I pitch in the best way I am able. Thank God I have kept up with the scribbling, it may benefit us yet.
Good to hear from you HSF. I’m not much of a drinker, but this essay went down like a smooth bourbon. All the best, if there is anyone who will make the most of these circumstances that have befallen I am confident it will be you. Keep the faith.
Before honor comes humility. Having done by this dance many times, I have found old warhorses heal quickly. You will be headed to the front anticipating the charge without an ounce of fear in your eyes. You have been a friend and neighbor to many, the humility to accept help and gifts is sobering. Doctors are full o crap on how long incapacitation lasts. You’ll be wandering in no time. You might be consider a couple more subjects on your writing list. They call that thing a boob tube you know. To your speedy recovery. Nice insight on the idiocies of the world
Also, you can watch Time Team.
My wife’s favorite line, which comes up from perp after perp on Live PD is ” these are not my pants” when they get busted for meth/crack in their pants pockets.
They might be channeling the old joke:
Does your dog bite?
No.
Pets dog, gets bitten.
I thought you said he didn’t bite.
That’s not my dog.
Might be a good time to try some comfrey root.
Wishing you fast healing,
Ticky
You are about the fifth person to make the suggestion. The foot is in a cast so can it be used in any way other than topically?
In the CBD thread from yesterday, EC posted a vid where Tommy Chong was using marijuana anally. So you could try that, if you think Tommy is onto something. You’re both comedians so maybe comfrey up the sphincter will work as well as weed up there. Hope you heal up quickly. Last year I was out of commission for a couple of months with multiple broken bones. Worst part was that it was over the summer. Immobility sucks. This was a great article.
I don’t know about that ‘root’ Iska, sounds risky, if not risque, to me.
“The plant is erect in habit and rough and hairy all over. There is a branched rootstock, the roots are fibrous and fleshy spindle-shaped, an inch or less in diameter and up to a foot long…”
HSF has a GREAT Tommy Chong story. I hope Admin titles it and posts it …
Cheech and Chong won the war on drugs, so where’s the fucking parade?
Mend up soon HSF. And don’t push it, let it heal.
Here is some good information about comfrey and alternative suggestions:
“Comfrey was historically recommended internally to support healing when there is a dry cough or connective tissue injury (bone and skin). Fortunately, there are alternative herbs for both of these situations that don’t pose the same risk as comfrey…..
….For bone or other connective tissue injuries, consuming foods that provide nutrients for healing can go a long way. Bone broth, ample protein, healthy fats, foods and herbs high in B-vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, bioflavonoids, and minerals can be consumed during an injury, as well as getting adequate sun exposure for Vitamin D along with the benefits of infrared light. Comfrey can be used externally to support healing as well.”
Once your cast is off, you could make an oil infused with comfrey.
Mountain Rose herbs has the best reputation out there for herbs and essential oils.
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/comfrey-leaf/profile
I use Mountain Rose Herbs as well. They have great herbs, spices and essential oils. I highly recommend them.
Hardscrabble, some herbalists don’t recommend taking Comfrey orally, so it would have to be used as poultice, which you can’t do yet due to the cast. But I do recommend you use it externally as a poultice or cream after the cast is removed to help with the healing. After the cast is removed, I recommend Epsom Salt baths to help with healing as well.
Here’s a conglomeration of my own knowledge and reading online about bone breaks. Adding more protein to your diet is the number-one recommendation along with bone broth. But here’s the rest.
Nettle is the best, all-natural source for calcium, which is needed for bones. Nettle contains all the nutrients our bodies need to digest and use calcium as well as a host of others needed for healthy bone growth.
Comfrey and Boneset are natural partners in healing broken bones. Boneset is most often used by modern herbalists for reducing fever, but the native tribes of northern America used it to heal broken bones and ease arthritis and rheumatism. Boneset helps ease pain and encourages energy to move through the bones, thus helping clear damaged tissues and build anew. Comfrey was traditionally called Knitbones herb because it helps speed cell regeneration and thus encourages bone and soft tissues to grow. For a broken bone, Comfrey and Boneset make an outstanding medicine. However, Comfrey is better applied as a poultice rather than taking it orally. (Boneset can also be an emetic, causing vomiting, if too much is taken, so you may want to use that herb externally in the Comfrey poultice.)
If you don’t want to use Comfrey orally, since some herbalists warn against it, Plantain can be used in exactly the same way as Comfrey, with the added advantage of being taken internally at the same time as externally, either as a tea or tincture.
In cases of broken bones, a physician’s care is essential, though herbs can be taken during the convalescence period to provide the minerals needed for bone repair. Nettle ( Urtica dioica ), Oatstraw ( Avena sativa ) and Horsetail ( Equisetum arvense ) all provide minerals needed for bone regeneration. These can be taken three or four times daily in the form of teas or capsules. Also be sure to include mineral supplementation that includes calcium, zinc, boron and silica.
A lot of bone broth provides many of the amino acids and proteins necessary for healing, as well as a wide variety of minerals that the bone needs specifically. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, found in the connective tissue of mammals, which are supplements for joint health.
Vitamins D3 and Vitamin K capsules, and magnesium supplementation are helpful with bone breaks. You can get Vitamin D exposure with 15 minutes in the sun daily, which is recommended even if you’re taking a supplement.
Vitamin C is also very important for bone health, which you can take in capsule or powder form, or just eat a lot of fresh seasonal fruit and vitamin-C rich vegetables.
I hope this is helpful to you. I only use natural medicine, so I do a lot of research. Make sure you eat that wonderful meat you raise along with bone broth soups and stews. And I hope you are able to heal quickly. Enjoyed the article.
I forgot to add in the above that Nettle tea can be made with fresh or dried nettles without worrying about the sting if the water is boiled and added to the herb to steep. You can also use an essential oil.
Thanks for all the information I will absolutely be using some of those suggestions. IluvCO2 brought me a half gallon of bone broth he made from the chicken feet and beef bones I gave him and I’ve been having that for my lunch. We’ve also been experiencing some patches of nettle behind the house- we ate some cooked like spinach last Summer and found it fairly tasty like a spicier, citrusy version of spinach- so when the patch starts growing again in the Spring I’ll make sure to utilize it. I also recall seeing a few comfrey patches- never thought much about, but now that I know where it is Ill make sure to add it to our growing list of herbal supplements, especially the ground root poultice.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of these kind comments to go along with the wisdom of experience. While I would much rather be up and around, I know that my best bet for complete recovery is to just keep myself fixed in place until the bones knit up and then I can concentrate on the rehabilitation of the soft tissue and all the atrophied muscle. Considering all of the horrible injuries some of the other people have come back from I should consider myself lucky it was only an extremity and not multiple bones. You should see the x-ray though there’s more titantium than bone now.
Once again, major thanks to everyone for the virtual bedside visits it really lifts the spirit to know that so many people are as kind as I imagine them to be. If any of you need something from me, let me know.
Yeah we like those archaeologists too.
Time Team forever!
Check out the newer Digging England.
Recuperation time when housebound is “hard time.” It sounds like you have a great support system in place. You know the TBP prayer team (led by our own gcp at the pulpit and altar) are praying for your healing and for your success with your writing gig.
Oh, and there’s a post about CBD oil here… I don’t know what kind of herbs grow around you there in New Hampshire, but…
As you well know, nothing of great worth comes without suffering. Suffering through the process is what makes it all worthwhile, supposedly.
I believe you will let us know!
Romans 8:18 KJB… “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
My only question; mild, medium or spicy? Hope you get to feeling better real soon ?
(Alters are for sacrifices… I ain’t goin there.)
altars
Doh…
I always enjoy your contributions.
One of the readers of TBP sent me a copy of Joel Salatin’s latest book for Christmas. He is a a neo-agrarian (a farmer as opposed to an industrial agriculturalist) who believes in ‘living truth’ rather than simply speaking the truth in the way he practices husbandry. In one chapter he speaks on the meaning of ‘glory’ as it relates to the nature of God’s creation and it was something I don’t think I ever heard before. As a pastor I would be very interested in hearing your understanding of glory in an essay should you get a chance. I don’t think that many people ever consider not only the importance of it’s use but it’s deeper meaning in terms of God.
And thanks for good wishes.
I’ll remember that.
Which is it tho? (I know, though…)
?
The Pigness of Pigs
I’m working on Berkshire pigs but ain’t there yet. I do the cowness of cows…
Some of each then. Address noted.
I just got rid of my pig of a goat, Simon. He now lives across the way with the realtor who found this land for me. He raises Boer goats and has a herd of nanny goats which Simon can’t reach. He said Simon seems content standing on his old wagon, pretending to be in charge.
The family which gifted me with the goats asked that I not kill and eat Simon. I had no idea how mean (and stinky) a spoiled, pampered billy goat might get. I made no such demand to my realtor friend.
I visited (for a fee) with my US Navy (retired) doctor yesterday. He is a bit of an old goat himself, running the local medical clinic as a post-military career in order to propel his family into the life he dreamed for them: his children are accomplished adults, with his youngest graduating from college and starting flight training (pilot) when mine started. He is flying heavies now, while his older brother finished his internship as a surgeon back east and my boy is now a software engineer less than a day’s drive away. I’ve only lived here five years, but I seem to know a lot about my doctor. That suggests we talk a lot about our boys.
For a guy originally from New Jersey born of Lithuanian immigrants fleeing Bolshevism, he hasn’t done too bad for himself and his progeny, in my opinion. He’s a great country doctor and I appreciate his pragmatic bedside manner.
His advice to me regarding my post-op issues and physical limitations?
“Be thankful for what you can do and do the best you can with it. The alternative sucks.” So proclaimed Dr. Ed “Popeye” Doyle, though he absolutely does NOT get called Popeye around the clinic. Everyone calls him “Doctor,” with respect.
btw, that caused a trip “into town” which caused me to pause and take a photo on my phone. It is snowing today, but you will just have to imagine how lovely it is now compared to yesterday.
And, like me… be thankful.
Well, that didn’t work. I hate learning to import images from a new device.
Thank you preacher man… I live back in the woods, driving past a lovely little country church with cemetery every time I go to town.
Nice people around here and I am thankful.
Carry on with your TBP sermons.
Amen brother. I too have a little slice of country life and am an aspiring “mediumscrabble” farmer… ?
Take good care and be careful out there!
good article, you should do more comedy.
Careful not to damage yourself in the Matrix. Subtle, but possibly worse than a smashed foot. Godspeed.
You are a great writer. I have enjoyed every word you have written and presented on this site. Can’t wait to read your book.
HSC,
What to say other than continued prayers for your comfort and recovery are coming your way from the Texas Hill Country. It is great that you have a fine support group.
Where abouts in the hill country?
So sorry that you are stuck in bed. My husband had a minor kerfuffle with a chainsaw last weekend. It could have been so much worse.
I was wondering how active men kept from going crazy when they were injured back when there was no TV or radio. Out on the prairie there would have been no library and possibly few if any books?
Easy – we walrus our broken asses over into a chair by a window, prop open the window, set up a rifle, and shoot things. Doesn’t matter what things or if we actually hit them very often since we can’t go check them for holes at the time, just blow some shit up and declare victory. It’s why .22LR comes in 5,000rd cases with free shipping.
That just moved up to the top of the to do list.
Praying for your speedy recovery… Chip
I am convinced that everything happens for a reason and there is no such thing as a coincidence. It is then up to the individual to ponder “why did this happen? what am I supposed to learn from this? how will this change course for me in an even more positive way?”
Mr. Hardscrabble Farmer I expect to see much more of your excellent writing and lucid view of the world around you.
Could be your family is being tested to see how they handle things if you weren’t around. Maybe not. Just something else to ponder.
Last night my wife and I were talking quietly about things and she brought up the effect of this on our son- his maturity at have to step in and shoulder not just his own responsibilities but all of mine without complain, in fact with a great deal of pride and grit. And had things gone another way they could have been handling all of this without me for good, as they one day will I imagine, instead of having me back in the game in less than six months.
I’m so grateful for having them and so lucky things didn’t turn out much worse.
Your son is a good and kind man. You and your wife have done well Hardscrabble.
Having lived almost all of my adult life with increasing disability I can assure you that you will overcome this hurdle. The difference in age from youth to my present 60 something age is that the process of getting back to your life takes longer and is more difficult. Do the therapy and when it is advisable push yourself. Recovery is something earned and not deserved.
As to COPS and all, people tend to stereotype themselves and not the opposite. The moronic behavior is endemic to the community and the population at large. The proliferation of video does nothing to motivate people to educate and improve themselves. If anything, it allows them an excuse for being stupid to begin with. ‘Hey. It’s society’s fault’ is the common excuse with no respect paid to the illegal and stupid shit they do.
One last thought. It’s winter. I know you would prefer to be out doing what you want to but for now, keep warm and as busy as possible. Sure as shit, by late April you will be back in the swing of things.
Any relation to Johnny B.?
“Goode” one, Coyote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFo8-JqzSCM
“Am I a schmuck for being a good person, and where can I get a shirt like that?”
LOL. Glad to see your sense of humor is intact even if your leg isn’t. Interested to hear about what they are digging up in the English countryside aside from half burnt copies of the Koran these days. Keep writing and take care of yourself.
PS – check your email.
I’m looking forward to the digging in England as well.
The world has devolved to a farce of Monty Python proportion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=IqhlQfXUk7w
And yeah crime does pay… here’s my wish that in the end you don’t walk with a limp..
Did you get a knee rover tricycle to move around with?
3 months on my back before I can start on crutches or any variety of walking assistance. I’ve been researching the various alternatives to the Tiny Tim look. I’m actually looking around the internet for one of those canes with a built in sword for when I’m all heeled (pun intended) up. Sophisticated and dangerous…
Harscrabble,
Get a good push dagger belt buckle/belt as well…for any who make it past the sword cane.
Then you will be well heeled with a formidable waist (pun also intended).
Get well soon!
Three months? What exactly did you do to yourself? That is a long time to be down. Good luck.
He’s an old man. Bones may heal in a month for kids. It took me 6 months to get rid of a cast on my forearm.
You need to quit jacking off so vigorously.
Or at least change hands every so often.
I trust you old hands but your advice is a little late.
Good for a smile. About a mile from my house, but I can’t walk in and buy one. I thought $120 was a great deal after I saw him dancing around with that hawg on the video. Probably trims brush too! 🙂
Here’s a good sword cane. I have one for the dog walks after dark. They have others to chose from besides this one.
https://www.trueswords.com/Gil-Hibben-Old-West-Custom-Sword-Cane-33350
farmer,
best wishes for a full recovery–
not to rain on anyone’s parade,but be careful using these sword canes–
many states require a concealed weapons license,and some prohibit them altogether–
https://www.google.com/search?q=do+any+states+require+a+concealed+weapons+permit+to+carry+a+cane+sword&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS775US775&oq=do+any+states+require+a+concealed+weapons+permit+to+carry+a+cane+sword&aqs=chrome..69i57.42019j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Thanks for the update HF. Glad you have a team of family and friends to help you out. I have various projects that I plan like the D day or iwo jima assault. Taking in past accidents. The one involving the table saw is really getting a think.
Irt cops they have to be in a certain mental range to do their job. Smart enough to enforce laws and obay orders but not too smart to use their critical thinking to game the system or decide which laws to enforce. Years ago I found one must score higher on an aptitude test to be a jail worker and unclog toilets than to be a jail deputy.
I worked at a police department. They called it the Box of Rocks test. You couldn’t be too stupid but you couldn’t be too smart to be a cop.
You two get an A for today. Prof Pangloss said the reason they don’t want A or B grade cops is they want them to enforce the law and not interpret it.
The criminal code is universal. It has lots of rules. Off the top, I can list a few:
Never cooperate with the cops.
Never ever work for a living, even if starving.
Lie, take the blame for a crime if it helps another criminal.
Criminals share and brag about their crimes in prison, that is how young perps become ‘hardened’. They have their own loyalties and support groups. I’m worried that the Muslim preachers are part of that support group when they excuse drug-dealing, unemployment and illegitimate kids….
I also noticed a racial component to the prospect of jail. White suspects almost always break down, and act extremely distressed while the Blacks and especially the younger Mexicans seemed to look forward to it. They actually tell the cops to get things underway so they can get to jail and seem relieved.
What’s that all about?
One meme on the narco ballads says, I don’t fear death or prison. These dudes know it’s part of living while maybe the white guys actually have a life. Maybe prison is an improvement on their life, giving them structure, street cred, and an opportunity for gang connections.
Some get socialized in jail/prison…knew an older brother of a boyhood friend who made it his life long home on purpose.
I haven’t looked at recidivism rates but I have seen the same. My brother said his friend from boyhood said he didn’t give a shit if they took him for life. Another younger jailbird keeps going back. I guess it’s not queer if your in jail but simply a variant of lesbian until graduation; homo until paroled.
“Uncle Joey” scene in Back to the Future? 🙂
Going back in time to make out with your mom is a litle crazy.
A link to a list of articles on the benefits of MSM, which is next step from DMSO, the old well known horse lineament.
Most are selling the pill form, but check out the salve on the skin for the ankle.
Hate to say it, but you are mega lucky. My younger brother was on a ladder cleaning leaves, and the fall fractured his pelvis.
About a half million for the surgery and bed recovery for 2-3 months.
Your brilliant writings are mush appreciated, and always a gift to the world.
https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=msm+benefits&fr=yfp-t-s&fp=1&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8
I swear, dude, you could have been a comedian.
And not being familiar with the particular episode in question, I do wonder if the “I’m a sue” gal may have been Native American and requesting the participation, if not intervention, of tribal police?
But, seriously, be well HSF. One day at a time. Silver linings abound whenever we look.
Because, as for me, whenever I feel…. shall we say… imperilled, it’s often when I’m staring into the dark. So, I, personally, try to not look there too long.
Or, other times, whenever I feel compromised, I search for means by which to retain balance; especially, in such a lecherously lewd and licentious society. Like this cool cane, for example 🙂
A cane is an assist on a weak gait but for a missing limb or one that is ineffective, crutches are just what the doctor ordered. I’m not sure HF will be musketeering or engaging in any derring-do for at least as long as the shutdown lasts.
lol You never know. Some of those .gov workers have big appetites
Uncola, that one seems confused. 😐
I like it. Problem is you might get shot with that one in your hand. Cops pass me in my nighttime dog walks, and I don’t think they would like the look of it, especially since I use it as a walking stick in plain view.
My main purpose of using a walking stick is for stray dogs because I’ve run into a few, and thank goodness they were friendly dogs, but my own dog was ready to fight. I have no way of intervening if they fight without the stick.
The cane part is for protection in case some din-do-nuffin I may encounter is not scared of large dogs. However, when I’ve ever encountered one, the dog stands stock still, focused on the din-do-duffin, not moving, not listening to commands as I hold tightly to the leash, and they hightail it out of there while looking over their shoulder. Large dogs are great.
I wish you a full recovery HS. I assume we will be treated to a full array of insightful musings. If so, I look forward to it.
Who would have guessed that HSF would make lemons into lemonade. He’s a hell of aman and broken bones will not beat him.
Where are you in the recovery process?
Anger, Denial, Acceptance, all three or still in shock?
Prayer works.
You are confusing the 5 stages of grief with the recovery process.
Any kind of life changing event can cause you to go through those five stages, EC.
Cancer, Divorce, a job loss ect.
Maybe, but how exactly would HF be bargaining when the injury is done already?
The bargain lies somewhere in recovery.
And in letting go of things that woulda, coulda, and perhaps shoulda been.
I re-read the 30 blocks of dog shit and sugar taxes piece and saw a guy looked like you named Rob in Nova Scotia commented. I almost remember that guy.
HF, sorry for your layup. I had a similar experience. Laid up for 3 months, couldn’t do anything. A severely smashed femur, shredded humorous, and more. No lie, it sucked. The worst part was not knowing if I’d ever walk again. Around 3 months, the bones showed some indication of healing, but then it stopped. Around 6 months after much anticipation, I had enough and had another surgery to push the bones together. They thought at the time (correctly) that they needed to be closer together, like magnets, to sorta of be attracted to each other. And it worked. Walked again around 8-9 months. Wow.
I was able to use a wheelchair after about 3 months, so that helped a ton.
One thing happened for sure. It changed my life for the better in many ways.
That was 25 years ago. I still remember like it was yesterday. I still thank my lucky stars almost every day. Still thank the doctors every anniversary. Still have all the old hardware that came out of me hanging in the barn to remind me.
You will come out better as well. Guaranteed. Even with physical problems that may remain as they have for me. I ended up losing partial use of my right hand and arm with one severed nerve, and the mind/body is amazing, you just adjust.
Best of luck.
HF is a hoopster now?
Holy Crap! How’d I miss that?!? So sorry to read about your tree misadventure! I know how you’re feeling. My tree thing was a 25-30ft fall out of a eucalyptus tree, doing a freebie to a landscaper for referral work. No good deed goes unpunished, eh? 5 fractured cervical vertebra, herniated 3rd lumbar disc, fractured 4th, compound dislocated right index, middle fingers (ball joints punched out through palm of glove), fractured right wrist. 11 months later I trimmed a 60′ palm tree. It kicked my ass physically and sweated bullets(a little nervous). That was summer 95, So. Cal. hotter than hell, 9 months in a removable clam shell torso cast and a hospital bed, 68 y o next month. My Christian Competition friendly tree service friends supported my wife and I 100% for a year. I’m as normal as you could expect for someone that’s as retarded as I am, better lucky than good sometimes. Vicodin was like Excedrin extra strength for me, YMMV. Prayers obviously helped me, they will help you too! Good fortune Hardscrabble, your forced and voluntary inner ruminations will change you for the better. Love your writing skills, and the you that’s in my imagination.
Tree Mike
I believe he posted a selfie with a scythe or pitchfork. He really looks like Tiny Tim above but with a haircut.
You’ve made some interesting observations on crime and cops during your convalescence. Look forward to your forthcoming book. Heal quickly.
Godspeed on your recovery, and also your writing. Since you are laid-up, it would be worth your time to watch The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs on Netflix. It’s a single movie composed of six separate Western vignettes (about 15 minutes each) that the Coen brothers just put together and released. The first is entertaining, and the last five are extremely powerful for any writer to watch. You won’t be disappointed.
Best wishes for your foot. It’s gonna be a cold one, so sit this winter out in comfort. Leaf season was as short and dull as I’ve seen in ages so I don’t know how that bodes for upcoming seasons. It’s always good to hear the NH point of view, home to more heroin addicts and gun companies than you can shake sticks at.
Never use a taser on a charging African! The final word on tasers: https://www.mcall.com/news/police/mc-nws-route-33-state-police-trooper-shooting-video-released-20180706-story.html
Sounds like you have discovered Time Team.
Along with tattoos, beards or at least a mustache seem to be standard for criminals. I’ve studied Florida’s daily mugshot website for years and for men 4 out of 5 sport facial hair!
Glad to hear you’re keeping your wits about you, HSF. Also amazing what a incredible collection of wisdom here at TBP; found nowhere else on the internet.
Hi Farmer
I enjoyed your article so much. I was wondering if you saw the video of that Seahawks player who broke his ankle the other day? It was truly painful to watch and it made me think of you exiting the tree.
One day when I was seven or eight, I was home alone with my grandmother when she fell off the back porch (carrying laundry to the line) and broke her ankle. I ran to summon help from construction workers at the church across the street , and she eventually ended up in a hospital bed in the living room for a few weeks. This was long ago, and for some reason I was tasked with carrying full bedpans from the bed to the bathroom to empty. Understandably this has remained a vivid memory, and I’m certain the experience helped to build my character, such as it is.
A while back, a member of my extended family slipped from a bank in her back yard and crashed to the patio below, landing hard on her heels, crushing them both. Ouch! Her recovery was very long and arduous and also involved lying in bed for weeks prior to using a wheelchair for more weeks. I suppose it is remarkable we don’t hurt ourselves more than we do while just living through ordinary days.
Try to bask in the gift of the time to rest and write and watch You Tube. Drink lots of bone broth. Submit to the love and ministrations of others. Someday you will look back and appreciate the full measure of blessings you are currently gathering.
Wow, first thing this morning and I get to walk into a 100.
– 100 –
I’m glad to hear that you’re starting to get a mental/emotional handle on the situation. Close family is an incredible strength. I had a cast on both legs at once when I was 8 or 9 – split my kneecaps right down the middle. That one took a while to get over.
Have you considered some sort of podcast from your healing station, maybe a monologue or dialogue with a willing friend/family? You have the history of public interaction, so who knows where that could lead? Whether comedic, or sage advise, or just spouting about whatever comes to mind; I’m sure there’s a lot of people would find that interesting.
Take those thoughts captive, and exercise that patience. You should be getting around by the time the Spring aromas hit.
Hard,do hope the healing goes as quickly as reasonable and until you are up and running the book comes to you as time passes,seems things like that come in waves.I wrote a few tunes for the band I was in and one literally(me favorite)must have wrote itself ahead of time as was done in one night with guitarist and I working the words/music together,other songs took me literally months,still have a few unfinished lyrics wise and am no longer in band so they will wait(assuming I can find em!).
Anyhow,seems you making the best of a challenging time and kudos to your family and friends for helping out/keeping the ship on keel.
I threw out my back yesterday, so I’m like Uncle Joe from Petticoat Junction: that’s Uncle Joe, he’s a moving mighty slow at the Junction – Petticoat Junction. I haven’t missed more than 6-7 days of some kind of exercise for the last 7 months, so having to lay around today is driving me mental (er). The thought of being laid up for three months is terrifying. I hope I’m never in a nursing home. The only consolation would be pretending to forget to wear pants.
That was me.
I just discovered an excellent YouTube channel called Fishing with Luiza. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCXP8XoI6xGyMsuwjC-lEePg