Oliver & The Sledgehammer
I picked up the tiny handheld chainsaw, really more of a bush pruning device than anything else, and walked over to the giant round of wood easily 48 in in diameter.
No, I wasn’t planning to try and turn this log round into firewood with this miniscule handheld “chainsaw”.
This particular device we used to just give a little notch in the center of the log where we could put a log splitting wedge.
Once I had this little notch, I was able to use the sledgehammer get the wedge started in the center of the round.
After I got the wedge set to my satisfaction, I started to line myself up to get this round split.
One of the things I have come to appreciate as I’ve gotten older is the simple beauty of somebody swinging a hammer whether a handheld hammer, or a two-handed sledgehammer and hitting exactly what they were swinging for.
Because, let me tell you, it is not as easy as they make it look!
Ka-ping!!!
My first swing was just a glancing blow and hit a corner of the wedge. Fortunately, there was nobody in the direction that the wedge-turned-projectile took off.
Humbled somewhat, I located the wedge and tried again.
This time my swing struck true.
There’s something pretty satisfying about the ring of steel when you hit metal with it.
Then I felt a tap on my shoulder.
When I turned around, I saw my 12-year-old son, oliver, standing there with an excited look on his face. Dad, can I take a turn?! Can I split this one!?
I looked at the sledgehammer in my hands and then looked at my son. Sledgehammers about 3 ft long, my son Oliver is maybe 5 ft tall… Not that big of a difference.
I was hesitant, because I knew how tough these rounds were going to be to split. It takes a lot of effort for me to split one of these rounds, I wasn’t sure my 12-year-old son could actually do it.
But really, he was asking more than just if you could take a turn. He was asking if I believed that he could. He was asking if I thought he what it would take to split the log.
Understanding the subtext of his request, I didn’t hesitate.
Because I do believe in him, he does have what it takes. He has the drive and determination. He may not have the skill or the strength, but those are things that he can build and acquire.
And I watched him as he took the sledgehammer, awkward with such a heavy weight on one end, and get ready for his first swing.
He lined himself up, he had the distance accurate, and he took a hesitant swing to make sure he could make contact with the wedge.
Dink…
His first swing was a glancing blow. Not effective.
But he took another swing. And he swung again. And then again, and again.
On swing 12, he stumbled. He lost his balance a bit from swinging the sledgehammer. But he didn’t quit.
Swing after swing when to all appearances nothing was happening. The wedge was not moving at all.
Finally, on his 28th swing, there was the cracking sound of the wood starting to split.
A few swings later, number 33 to be precise, he buried the wedge in the log splitting it apart.
He had successfully split the log all by himself.
It was definitely a proud dad moment being able to watch him do this. And I thought about some of the lessons that life was teaching me.
- You usually don’t get it right the first time — His first swing was a glancing blow
- It is hard — he stumbled on several swings
- It takes time — no progress (that we could see…) until swing 28
- It will take more work than you think — 33 swings total
These lessons apply to so many areas of life! And I see it especially in my field, buying apartments and coaching others to do the same.
- You usually don’t get it right the first time — learning how to analyze the numbers for apartments is complex, you will miss things as you get started
- It is hard — learning a new skill always is!
- It takes time — time to get the reps in and build the skill
- It will take more work than you think — see point #2
Anytime we start something new, it’s more work than we thought, takes longer, gets frustrating before it’s satisfying, all of it.
For those who endure, the reward is on the other side.
If you have been waiting for someone to come alongside you who believes in you…well…I’m right here…let’s talk.
Keep on keeping on,
-Yeadon
