It is inherent to all living things. At some point we must come face to face with our mortality. The question is, when do we become either so physically degraded in our motor skills, or mentally so slowed down, that we become more of a danger to ourselves or others by carrying a firearm? And most difficult question we must all eventually answer for ourselves and our loved ones.
I’m reminded of a poem I had to learn 50 years ago in high school. It starts off—
Tiger tiger burning Bright in the forest of the night, I wish I may I wish I might??? Damn! I think I’m mixing two different poems! Hell, I feel like Yogi Berra mixing his metaphors!! Stop let me think.,… oh yeah!! Rage! Rage! Against the dying of the light! Whew! Thought my mind was going for a minute.
I got to face my own mortality a little over a year ago. Shouldn’t be here today. I had an early physical preview of what life in my 90s will be like if I make it that far. But fortunately I am still here with my mind intact and my muscles about back to their former levels.
I think knowing one’s capabilities and limitations is very important regardless of age. Something we should all be reassessing and accounting for on a regular basis.
Great Topic. My fear is, when that moment in my life occurs, I won’t be competent enough to see it. I’ve seen and experienced elders in and around our family that grew EXTREMELY OBSTIENT in there twilight years. They couldn’t see well, motor skills had degenerated significantly but they “ain’t givin up my damn pick up keys”. My mother finally stopped carrying a firearm at 85, after some A$$hole took it out of her house she decided not to buy a replacement, she was probably right at the edge physically, not mentally, of not being capable to use her firearm.
It’s very personal and many factors decide about it. Usually people think about physical degradation, but for me mental part is more important. Nobody is gonna think for us, but there is always somebody who helps with daily activities.
My whole life I’ve been told to be physically active to keep body strength and train your mind to never become cuckoo nor demented.
So far only “cuckoo” is my concern… that’s what my wife is telling me… , but this definitely doesn’t make me incapable of defending myself and my Family.
Anyway, life is beautiful right now, so I will get back to this thread in next 20 years or so.
My sons are my backup plan for firearms and self defense.
There is no general rule. A friend had a dear elderly friend of his suffer a debilitating stroke. He lives alone and my buddy comes in daily to do some chores and help out. He also happens to be an actual elite operator and trainer with decades of real world experience.
He worked with the gentleman to overcome his handicap as best as possible and adapt his skills to his new reality. Now instead of packing a high cap 9mm he is rocking a well tuned Glock 44 (.22LR) packed with stingers and tuned for a super smooth minimum trigger pull weight that he keeps in a handy accessible pouch on his wheelchair.
This setup is not optimal for SD but it’s the best he can handle probably for the rest of his life and much better than screaming like the kid on Home Alone if an intruder comes into his house. The man has been a wolf all his life and simply rejects the path of being a sheep so he was willing to put in the HARD work and training needed to adapt. Not everyone is wired that way.
Me personally? The last thing they’ll get off my body after I’m cold will be my pistol.
Remember all the many good years we enjoyed the freedom to carry.
Yes, if we’re fortunate, we’ll live long enough to experience this problem ourselves. We’ll see it for our family or friends when they age. For a few younger, if they become incapacitated earlier in life.
Who values safety more than us?
Similar to when we take the keys away (because we love them). We don’t like it, we’ll resist. But like with the car, we become their driver, their chauffeur, we become their armed body guard; Revere the elder for the Queen or King they are, for “we stand on their shoulders”.
Great topic. I’m 66 yers old, a cancer survivor & currently dealing with the physical effects of rheumatoid arthritis. It’s without a doubt that my reflexes are much slower & I’m nowhere near as physically capable as I was even in my 50s! That being said, I know that slow is smooth & smooth is fast when it comes to drawing my gun & getting the front sight on target. I still have confidence in that & train often.
Adding to the conversation is demished mental capacity. My father died from Alzheimers & others I know are in the mists of dementia. So, at what point do you “disarm” a family member. I took Dad’s guns away & into my gun safe very early into his diagnosis. He eventually beat a cable guy with a golf club & seriously injured him. A judge ordered he be put in a memory care unit for his & others safety. Had I not removed his guns, knowing my father, he most likely would have shot the poor guy & living with me, I’m certian that I would have borne a great measure of responsibility in that
I can remember myself and my siblings dealing with my mother God rest her soul, when she is in her early 90s. She was a very independent and spry woman with a sharp wit even then. She lived alone at her choice and liked it that way.
As we begin to see her degrade physically, we began discussing taking her little red sports car which she loved away. None of us relished the thought of that battle! Then one day entering freeway from the on-ramp she sideswiped and 18-wheeler! Thank God no one was injured. As we discussed it with her she began to try and tell me that he was in her blind spot! I said mother, an 18-wheeler is 30 ft long there is no blind spot. She looked up at me with those incredulous eyes that she could look through you with and I believe saw the deep concern in my face.
She quietly went to her purse and pulled out her car keys and handed them to me. She also informed me she was not selling her little red sports car though. Luckily my little sister’s husband was retired and willing to act as her chauffeur. So two days a week he was at her disposal whether it be her wanting to go to bingo or meet her friends at McDonald’s for breakfast. We should have done it sooner but in the end she made the decision herself.
, but this definitely doesn’t make me incapable of defending myself and my Family.
Have a good day Rick!!.