Ever wonder how we got certain sayings?
One I've been pondering is, "A man does his own killing". If your not from a certain American subculture or a fan of of the Western you might not have come across that one. If you are, have you ever thought about how or why we got it?
I think we got it because there are times when a man must kill. Some times it is for food, or country or defense or another justifiable cause. Regardless of the reason, only the person performing the act can determine if the cost to his soul is worth the taking of another life. "A man does his own killing", is a fact of life. A real man doesn't order his own killings or pay to have them done. HE must pull the trigger, either literally or figuratively. He must pay the cost.
Is the cost worth it? Sometimes the cost is only the knowledge of having performed the act. Sometimes the cost is having other people know, and either praise or condemn you for what you have done. Sometimes the cost is a gaping hole in one's soul. A hole that tears cannot fill.
Think of that cost whether you hunt or hate, or must do what is right and administer a just blow to someone you know. Is the cost worth it?
A man does his own killing.
And accepts the price that he must pay.
I know you bumped your head recently, so I'm hesitant to ask,
ReplyDeletebut, is this post in any way related to IWWBK?????
Cause if it is,..... I would suggest you reconsider.
IWWBK will be gone from the scene soon enough, and if God is gracious to us, we will have a few more years on this earth after he is gone.
No its not related to IWWBK.
ReplyDeleteI'll post more latter when I've worked this out in my own mind. Last Sunday night I drew my gun in defense of my family, against one of the best friends I've ever had and I shot her dead.
Damn. I assume that was the dog.
ReplyDeleteIts one of those things in life. I myself have not gotten that attached to my dogs, till the one I have now. She's about 6. She's been a great dog for me. It will be tough when she gets old.
Sorry man.
Res,
ReplyDeleteAs a former city-boy turned (part-time) goat farmer, I've learned exactly what you mean.
I was raised as part of the "bambi-generation", and it still remains hard for me to kill my meat-goats, so they can provide what the Lord intended them to provide.
Nonetheless, I won't have anyone else do it, because, even though I'd never heard this saying before, still, I do my own killing.
Praying for you.
When it rains, it pours.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed.
Oh, Res. I'm so sorry that it came to that. It's hard enough to lose an old family pet, but to have to put it down yourself like that is the worst - like Old Yeller. That's just heart wrenching.
ReplyDeleteI take mine to the vet, but I am there when they pass, and I dispose of the remains. I wouldn't want to shoot a beloved pet for fear of making a mess of it. Have considered it for horse-sized animals and had to learn aim points. But would still rather have the chemicals. I wish the law permitted people to have the humane chemicals on hand without having to call for a vet. Kind of leaves only the one option in extremis.
ReplyDeleteIt had to be done, right? Then it was best it was you. Mourn the loss and the circumstances that made it needed, not the act.
Sorry, dude.
Thank all of you.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find a logical or semi-justifiable reason to keep her alive. If I could have, she still would be around.
As far as the "how" of it, it is possible to kill instantly and painlessly for the animal.
I was trying to be funny, and typical of me, I did in at an inopportune moment, my apologies.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had to do what you did for a long time. But I am the one who does it at the farm when it is necessary, sometimes on a weekly basis.
It is possible to grow callous about what you are doing. Be glad that you feel such pain if doing what had to be done.
Better to feel some pain, than to feel nothing at all.
FT,
ReplyDeleteNo worries.
Of all the dogs I've owned or trained this was the best. Of all the times I've killed something and frankly I've lost count, this was the worst.
As a kid I helped butcher various critters. It was strange at first and then it became a chore. As I got older I got to help with deer. Then I got old enough to hunt. Killing became a rite of passage. It was never cruel or callous. I was 20 or 21 the first time I ever grabbed a gun in response to a human threat. Nothing materialized from that encounter and the person trying to break in left. In that moment I knew I could have pulled the trigger. I suppose that was the closest I've come to killing something of value.