Homestead Accidents

Injurious accidents are events that anybody wishes to avoid. But by their very definition, an accident is “a happening that is not expected,” so they are something that occurs with little notice, and are maybe even beyond our ability to stop them. One’s best shot at minimizing their visitations is to live as mindfully and carefully as possible, and never walk under a ladder. We all experience accidents, regardless of our carefulness, however.

Nearly 25 years ago my spouse and I left an urban environment to take up a life out here in the woods—to follow a lifestyle that is immensely rewarding, but has its particular physical hazards. They are different from those risks that we would have encountered in the city (out here we try to avoid harm to the body, while in the city it was more to the mind).

Country accidents can be devastating. After having taken up a rural, self-sufficient lifestyle, we became aware of numerous individuals in our situation who had had debilitating accidents—sometimes either seriously curtailing their independence or even ending it. When you’re messing around in isolation with chainsaws, ladders, and virulent critters, you can quickly be put out of commission. You need a good degree of physical ability, fitness, and health, in order to pull off living out here; otherwise you may have to hang up your homestead spurs and head back to the city, to a regular job and (hopefully) insurance coverage.

I think that it is a testimony both to our prudence and good luck that we have had no severe mishaps thus far. Many times I have begun a task that I knew was rather dangerous; fully aware that it required me to be alert and careful, lest I encounter one of those incapacitating accidents. I know that the outcome depends strongly on one’s level of attention, as well as luck.

One of those mishaps happened to me recently—while chainsawing a leaning, standing tree. I was probably not as alert as need be, and it fell the “wrong” way (on my head) and gashed a deep cut on my scalp. Luckily, I only lost a good amount of blood, not consciousness, and was able to walk (rapidly) back out of the woods; even carrying the saw.

The chainsaw is a raucous machine; one of the most treacherous tools that a homesteader uses, as well as one of the most productive and necessary. You ain’t gonna clear wind-blown trees or cut enough winter firewood without wielding one of these dangerous beasts. They require an inordinate amount of mindfulness and proper maintenance. I have had many near mishaps, using a chainsaw, but no calamities yet. (Unless one wants to count the time I nearly cut off my son’s finger, 40 years ago.)

Now I will have many indoor hours of rehabilitation to ponder my lesson: Did my luck turn bad or was I a little too impatient? Was my number up or my attention down?