People amaze me, not saw related but so amazed i had to share

[Locust Cutter]

I understand this all too well. When I was young, Mom and Dad looked at me and said "we'll take care of the basics, food, clothes, roof, etc. If you want anything beyond that you're gonna earn it yourself." I did and mowing yards at $5/cut, tilling gardens, doing light limb cleanup, building fence, etc paid for a used 8-bit Nintendo ($100) more than a few guns, hunting licenses, shells, vehicles, dates and Lord knows how much I blew in arcades, when they were still a thing. My kids do chores now, help me stack wood, clean up around the house and whatever else we need them to do. At ages 6/7 (about to be 7/8) they're learning to shoot a single shot Chipmunk .22, how to fish, saddle a horse, work cows, run tractors, cut wood, fix the house, drive/fix combines and fix machinery. They will have life skills before they set out on their own. I do drink a beer now and then around them as I want them to know that it can be ok, when done in moderation and not before doing potentially dangerous things, driving, shooting, flying, running a saw, etc.

My little brother on the other hand, is a good kid, but Mom wouldn't let him get hurt doing anything physical, or outdoors, because he was the baby. He's getting better now, but is still largely allergic tto physical exertion/sweating and at 21 still lives at home. I've been out since 18 and would have to be homeless before I'd think about going back.

 

[Locust Cutter]

My daughter learning to ride 2 years ago on a pony.


My Son, next to my little brother, getting ready to go cut some wood.



The babies after they "helped" my wife and I stack brome bales for the horses. I'd normally stack them a bit tighter/more organized, but the kids were going to use them as a jungle gym anyway...

 

[Mastermind]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread...

 

[fearofpavement]

Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread...

If there was an apology for every thread that got "diverted" there would be a lot of apologies on here, lol.

I had determined years ago that my sons would have callouses on their hands in other places besides their thumbs. I wanted their skills to extend beyond video games and texting.
They both know how to service their vehicles, run a chainsaw, toss firewood and know that getting dirty, sweaty and tired won't kill them. One's in the army and one's in his last year at the US Coast Guard Academy. I'm really proud of them both.

 

[raumati01]

You need to move down under.

Here we associate respect with mateship
A mate is your friend but its more than that. Its something only Aussies understand.
In Australia you dont always need to know anyone's name..... it doesn't matter cause we just say, hi mate, hey mate, how ya going mate.
We (most of us) take pride in having mateship as a core value.
For me, respect is something that is earnt. Its never given nor granted.

My children have been raised to show respect, and taught how to earn it.
We have taught them that when you do something stupid that erodes respect, you then have to work to earn it back.

I see the kids that are not taught these values and know that my kids will come through on top in the end.

Sorry for the off topic rant but I believe its a very important topic in today's world.

Your neighbours across the Tasman understand mateship too.

I just started bankrolling my son into fixing law mowers we buy from the local dump. He's 14 and it makes so damn proud to see him swapping the motor from one with a rusted out base to another with an alloy base that some jackass ran out of oil. He gets the profits after he pays me back for the parts and mower.

 

[USMC615]

I grew up the youngest of 11...6 older brothers/4 older sisters. Mom and Dad were tapped (both had very good jobs...Dad a retired IBM Engineer and Mom retired civil service, Robins AFB, where I work now). Trying to feed and clothe that crew was hell on the billfold and wallet. I graduated HS Jun of '85, landed on Parris Island Jan of '86 via a Greyhound bus ticket, and never looked back. Been on my own ever since. And still hunting that ever elusive Powerball number, lol.

We were taught early that if you wanted 'fancy anything' money, aside from the necessities as far as clothes, shoes, boots, etc went...you better get out and earn it. I inherited about eight yards from an older brother when I was 12 and that's where I made my pocket money at. Pushing a mower with a can of gas around to yards in the neighborhoods, getting $15-25 dollars a yard.

 

[Mastermind]

Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread...

Hi-jack????

Heck no man. Thanks for the great pictures and for laying out your thoughts.

I love this site because of guys like the ones that have posted in this thread. Real men that understand that work has more value than just the money that is earned.

In all the years I've ported saws, I've gotten one bad check. Just one. And the guy was stunned. Some mix up at the bank. I've rarely had a customer that was anything but easy to work for. The reason is simple. We all know what it is like to work for a living. We respect hard work and the men that are feeding a family.

Hi-jack? Hell no.

 

[USMC615]

Hi-jack????

Heck no man. Thanks for the great pictures and for laying out your thoughts.

I love this site because of guys like the ones that have posted in this thread. Real men that understand that work has more value than just the money that is earned.

In all the years I've ported saws, I've gotten one bad check. Just one. And the guy was stunned. Some mix up at the bank. I've rarely had a customer that was anything but easy to work for. The reason is simple. We all know what it is like to work for a living. We respect hard work and the men that are feeding a family.

Hi-jack? Hell no.

Well said...

 

[Locust Cutter]

If there was an apology for every thread that got "diverted" there would be a lot of apologies on here, lol.

I had determined years ago that my sons would have callouses on their hands in other places besides their thumbs. I wanted their skills to extend beyond video games and texting.
They both know how to service their vehicles, run a chainsaw, toss firewood and know that getting dirty, sweaty and tired won't kill them. One's in the army and one's in his last year at the US Coast Guard Academy. I'm really proud of them both.

My occupation was as a B-1b Lancer and KC-135R (Flying) Crew Chief and now as a SIGINT analyst for the KS Air Guard as an AGR (Active Guard/Reserve) E-6, looking for an E-7 slot. So I understand where your Sons are at in life.

Weekends are cutting wood, ranching, farming, building up a herd of Scottish Highland cattle and playing with the family (hunting, shooting, fishing, boating, camping, biking) as often as possible.