If you own a dog, you’ve heard this rule: 1 year for Fido equals 7 years for you.
A 7 year old horse is equivalent to a 21 year old human.
A 7 year old bovine is equal to a 38 year old human.
But a year in the life of a man…
It seems to me that all depends on the man, and their trade, but their lifestyles seem to effect each man differently. For example, men who are bankers, lawyers or executives don’t seem to age much, they seem to be able to visit the country clubs and play golf forever. They can be 80 years old and not look a day over 60!
Now a farmer or rancher on the other hand can be 60 years old and look like they’re 80! You see it’s not the actual years, it’s the rough road and miles we’ve covered.
I calculated the years for agriculturalists, and it depends slightly upon occupation, mind you there are exceptions, but I determined the ratio for farmer. 1 Man Year is equal to 1.3 Farmer Years. Due to the fact that we tend to get tractor back from long hours bouncing in the seat. I also took into account moving siphon tubes back in the day, lifting and loading of seed sacks, hooking up equipment, shoveling, throwing hay bales, busting tires, mounting duals, the weather, dealing with salesman and bankers, and working on junk equipment.
Now a rancher has a ratio slightly higher of 1:1.45 years. These numbers are higher due to the fact that they are exposed to the weather, bankers, cow buyers, cold backed broncs, overprotective momma cows, bad tempered cows or just generally stupid equine and bovine. Then you throw in climbing windmill towers, hauling salt and mineral, and shovel work from digging up and fixing miles of rotten water lines over miles of rough ranch land. Both farmers and ranchers work all the time and never get a day off.
I think also most people can deduct an extra year for 2020 since the corona virus made em all stay home while folks in agriculture had to keep working.
Now there is another special category that I feel some (like myself) fall under which has a ratio even higher of 1:1.75.
You see we have done both of the aforementioned mentioned… but then you factor in additional time for stupidity of youth. Those of us who never passed up a challenge or refused a dare, or in general… enjoyed reckless fun. Those of us who thought we were of superhuman lineage…when it turns out we actually might have just missed inheriting the gene of intelligence. It adds more age to the equation.
All that said I wouldn’t trade my life and the memories I’ve acquired for anything. When my grandkids ask what it was like when I was growing up…I’ll have plenty of adventures to tell them about. I might keep silent on a few better left untold stories… Anyway they won’t be about making loans or arguing cases in court. They’ll be great stories of all I’ve done, all the sunrises and sunsets I’ve seen and things I’ve been through. Different wrecks I got tangled up in, fishing and hunting trips, and enjoyable moments spent with family and friends. All the times I spent living life all the way up till I die and of everything in between.
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion…. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. – Ecclesiastes 5:18
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. – Ecclesiastes 9:10
