Going through some family photographs I found one of myself, at age two, with a stick. Then I found another one. It got me thinking about my love affair with sticks.
I was introduced to sticks long before the invention of joysticks to control video games. I don’t remember when I first picked up the habit of having a stick in my hand. I think it just came naturally. Fascination with sticks is common in boys. I imagine some of that is due to girls being told to put down that stick and pick up your doll, but I imagine it could go back to men discovering that they could protect women better with sticks than without one.
Since women are at a disadvantage in most fights when pregnant, it makes sense that long ago men discovered that knowing how to use a stick was one way to stay popular with the ladies. They no doubt encouraged their sons at an early age to get friendly with the stick.
Sticks aren’t all good. Take the legend of the English “Rule of Thumb,” coming from the law that it was fine for a man to beat his wife with a stick to get her attention, as long as the stick wasn’t wider than the man’s thumb.
We also have “spare the rod and spoil the child.” We have that scene from the movie “2001, A Space Odyssey,” where the ape starts swinging a bone to break other bones and where that lead. Okay, a bone is not a stick, but the same general idea.
Sticks are unlike more modern toys that have more functions than a child will ever figure out how to use. Sticks have only one moving part – the stick itself. Sticks don’t use batteries and have no ports for plugs ins. The functions of a stick are controlled by a boy’s imagination.
Sticks can slay dragons, hit home runs and shoot holes-in-ones. They can block hockey pucks, flip lacrosse balls into nets, and draw lines in the sand. Sticks can be machine guns, deer rifles, and piñata breakers. Directing symphonies, leading marching bands and pole vaulting and shall I go on?
As a 65-year-old man, my favorite stick is the walking stick. Has been for many years. I used to prefer selecting my stick from a forest floor. If just the right size was not available I would modify to fit. I sometimes accepted the kindness of some unknown fellow traveler, who left their stick when they were done with it. Then I did the same.
When the unsteadiness I had been having while on my feet was diagnosed as being related to Parkinson’s Disease, I imagined that a walking cane would not be far in the future. I thought it best to begin to grieve the dreams I had of doing more hiking in retirement. Then I had another idea. Just keep hiking.
I found that metal trekking poles provided nice protection against disease related false steps.
I don’t hike far these days, but I hike with a heightened sense of perception. I don’t hike to get to a nice view, I have nice views everywhere I hike. Nice sounds, smells and textures to feel as well.
Although I think that there is little likelihood of getting hassled by wild or domesticated animals or intoxicated humans, I like the idea that if I do, one of my trekking poles might come in handy.
I bought a nice set of trekking poles with free shipping thanks to Amazon Prime. They have many different tips for handling a variety of terrains. I got them about a year ago and one day I may open the box to check them out. Currently my old pair work just fine.
I just found out that one of my favorite parks to hike in has free admission for folks my age during the week. I plan to take advantage of that. I like to stop to capture images with my cell phone camera. I point and shoot. The screen keeps prompting me with all of the things my old cell phone camera can do. I ignore it all.
If you are an older man and your hope to save enough money for retirement didn’t quite work out, get a stick and go for a walk. Forget about green fees, fishing vacations and hunting trips for a while. Go get your stick. Go to anyplace where there are plants.
Sticks still can overturn rocks to see if there is anything wiggling underneath. They still can help part the weeds to see where the poison ivy is.
Sticks can’t do much to help you avoid ticks with laboratory engineered pathogens, toxic chemicals falling from the skies worldwide or the new intensity of ultraviolet radiation. They can help motivate you to keep living and loving it, on a budget.
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Photo: Pixabay