With winter here in Wisconsin, preparations for the onslaught began recently. That included chopping wood to occasionally fuel a fire for household warmth. I recommend chopping for all.
Our son Kirby, who frequently is home for Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, enjoys doing the honors. Splitting logs is a visceral thing.
You center it on a huge stump. Bring the axe back. Hammer it home. The resounding THOCK sound as the sharp blade contacts the carbon-based former tree resonates up through your body. You feel it, like an immersion of power, success, and release.
If you chop well, you split the logs in one hit. Though this is not a goal, when you accomplish a split on the first try, it’s a magnificent feeling. Kind of the like opposite of bowling when the split makes you feel like you didn’t get perfect contact.
Yes, that’s the feel – perfection. You can’t beat it. You may start whistling a tune. Coming from Kirby, that wouldn’t be surprising.
I’ve chopped wood for many years. I took an internship in Florida back when I was a youngster to work for a woman promoting her alternative economy public television show. While staying at her house, she introduced to the joys of wood chopping.
She didn’t split logs. Instead, she kept an axe stuck in a huge tree stump in her backyard. When stressed, she went outside and slammed the stump for 15-20 minutes. Coming inside, she felt better, relaxed, as if her worries were left behind.
Splitting logs does this for you – releases endomorphins. You feel better.
This type of exercise could be put to good use in our violent society, and as an anger management tool. You may have read up on anger management rooms that have been around for years where anyone can come in, pay a fee, get a sledgehammer, then destroy various objects – television sets, microwaves (things that go crash or boom), chairs, tables -- for a period of time, say half an hour (you don’t need much). The idea is to get the bad juices out of your body by destroying inanimate objects.
Slamming objects with your total body/mind immersion gets your anger out. These anger management rooms have figured out a way to monetize the release of your anger.
Chopping wood does the same thing, is free, and you actually do something good for society by splitting logs to provide fuel. It’s available to almost anyone if you purchase an axe and find some local wood you can bring to your yard to annihilate.
Years ago I read a book, “Chop Wood, Carry Water.” It was about Zen. The book covered a number of things in our daily lives that we do that can capture a oneness of feeling, helping you relax and be more in-tune with the world. Chopping wood was one of those things the authors said helped you achieve a more Zen-like state.
I believe it. I’ve seen the results for myself. Kirby looks forward to the exercise to get his chops in.
Pick up an axe this holiday season. Become one with the world. You’ll feel better.
Our son Kirby, who frequently is home for Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, enjoys doing the honors. Splitting logs is a visceral thing.
You center it on a huge stump. Bring the axe back. Hammer it home. The resounding THOCK sound as the sharp blade contacts the carbon-based former tree resonates up through your body. You feel it, like an immersion of power, success, and release.
If you chop well, you split the logs in one hit. Though this is not a goal, when you accomplish a split on the first try, it’s a magnificent feeling. Kind of the like opposite of bowling when the split makes you feel like you didn’t get perfect contact.
Yes, that’s the feel – perfection. You can’t beat it. You may start whistling a tune. Coming from Kirby, that wouldn’t be surprising.
I’ve chopped wood for many years. I took an internship in Florida back when I was a youngster to work for a woman promoting her alternative economy public television show. While staying at her house, she introduced to the joys of wood chopping.
She didn’t split logs. Instead, she kept an axe stuck in a huge tree stump in her backyard. When stressed, she went outside and slammed the stump for 15-20 minutes. Coming inside, she felt better, relaxed, as if her worries were left behind.
Splitting logs does this for you – releases endomorphins. You feel better.
This type of exercise could be put to good use in our violent society, and as an anger management tool. You may have read up on anger management rooms that have been around for years where anyone can come in, pay a fee, get a sledgehammer, then destroy various objects – television sets, microwaves (things that go crash or boom), chairs, tables -- for a period of time, say half an hour (you don’t need much). The idea is to get the bad juices out of your body by destroying inanimate objects.
Slamming objects with your total body/mind immersion gets your anger out. These anger management rooms have figured out a way to monetize the release of your anger.
Chopping wood does the same thing, is free, and you actually do something good for society by splitting logs to provide fuel. It’s available to almost anyone if you purchase an axe and find some local wood you can bring to your yard to annihilate.
Years ago I read a book, “Chop Wood, Carry Water.” It was about Zen. The book covered a number of things in our daily lives that we do that can capture a oneness of feeling, helping you relax and be more in-tune with the world. Chopping wood was one of those things the authors said helped you achieve a more Zen-like state.
I believe it. I’ve seen the results for myself. Kirby looks forward to the exercise to get his chops in.
Pick up an axe this holiday season. Become one with the world. You’ll feel better.
