Relapse?

I got bored today and had the itch to do something productive. I ended up talking to a girl I happen to have liked for a while. I met her through archery, and so we started talking about that. We talked for something like 5 hours today until the itching finally got the best of me.

I went into the basement, wiped the dust off my travel case, and took it out. The bow has seen daylight for the first time in months.

It felt good to hold again. So many memories and feelings. So much power.

Will I relapse? We'll just have to wait and see.

Do it... relapse!!

I stopped archery about 5 years ago when I bust up my right shoulder. I miss it a lot. My kids keep asking, as I have some smaller Bear flatbows that they want to get out. There is no way I am letting them 'play' without some guidance, which should be an excuse for me.

My favourite tools were novelties at my old range.. I got a lot of weird looks when I pulled out my CP Oneida Black Eagle or the 6ft wood flatbow.

From some of your posts in the past, you were / are so good that you should at least pass this on to others... Teach dude.. Teach!!

I do teach. I am a certified coach and will even coach for free. As far as my skills, I was one of the best in New England. I placed 11th nationally.

And my bow turned heads too. Between the lightning paint job, all the add ons, and the arrows all hitting each other in the center of the target, people looked.

Not TOTALLY unrelated to the first post, the young lady in my original post has agreed to go out with me sometime. Cool beans.

Mason, why did you stop? You're obviously good at it. Was it the cost of everything involved? More involved in Eagle project? Injury?

It was a whole host of problems. It had become no fun for me, because I had almost no real competition. The cost was not the problem at all, even though my setup cost me over $3,000 not including all of the thousands of dollars paid for range time. The classes I were taking were not fast paced enough for my skill level, either. School and scouts did not play a part in it at all. I did have an injury on the hand that holds the bow in the area between the index finger and thumb, making it incredibly painful to hold the bow.

The part that made it most unbearable I tihnk was that two of my ex girlfriends basically had the same schedule as me, which means that they were with me at almost every outdoor practice. I even shot directly next to one of them at a tournament, and I had a complete mental breakdown.

But I miss it all the same.

MasonH said:

Not TOTALLY unrelated to the first post, the young lady in my original post has agreed to go out with me sometime. Cool beans.

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Awesome

As for the archery, do what you think is right. It needs to be your decision.

-Kevin

If you were talking to a young lady (you like(ed) ) for 5 hours and the itch ended in archery --- throw the bow in the dumpster, it's not doing you any good.

Satisfy the itch with her --- Did I even need to explain this ???

ckreef said:

If you were talking to a young lady (you like(ed) ) for 5 hours and the itch ended in archery --- throw the bow in the dumpster, it's not doing you any good.

Satisfy the itch with her --- Did I even need to explain this ???

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wrong kind of itch! :rofl:

hmm... girls or archery. One reason I dropped archery in the 70s.
Though I wasnt in the type of competition you were.
Mainly hunting and outdoor 2D and 3D. I recently restrung my bows.
Still have the original 1960s Bear #45 Kodiak I got my archery badge with.
One of Jennings first compound bow and a worked out Myles Keller XI Magnum, though it may seem old school in todays standards.
With a 60% let off at #75, I cant pull it back w/out straining.
So back to storage they go.

Used to shoot in a league back in the late 70's. Wasn't all that good but I really enjoyed it, even got a Robin Hood once. How many Robin Hoods have you got Mason?

Sounds like you have some skill with the bow and I'd encourage you to pursue it. Archery is an ancient and honorable skill and much more satisfying than a PS2 controller.

Girls <sigh> what can I tell ya dude. Been married to one for 33 years and helped raise two; I'd be lying if I told you I had 'em figured out.

bill2654 said:

Used to shoot in a league back in the late 70's. Wasn't all that good but I really enjoyed it, even got a Robin Hood once. How many Robin Hoods have you got Mason?

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True robin hoods? Only 2 that I can remember. Let me just say that when a SINGLE carbon fiber arrow is $35, shattering one is not fun. Especially when those specific arrows can only be purchased by the half dozen, not individually.


As far as the girl goes, it is a win win. I might get back into archery, and she is as competitive as I was. I get to see her at tournaments and take her out after them, AND I get to start shooting again, which I love. Nobody loses!

MasonH said:

Will I relapse? We'll just have to wait and see.

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Mason, you already have.

MasonH said:

True robin hoods? Only 2 that I can remember. Let me just say that when a SINGLE carbon fiber arrow is $35, shattering one is not fun. Especially when those specific arrows can only be purchased by the half dozen, not individually.

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THATS right there is what I call the bittersweet experience. I have a couple of "Robin Hood" arrows around here, but getting one screwed up that SET of arrows... arghh! yes, I used to weigh them out, and match them by the half dozen...

Salvage-1 said:

THATS right there is what I call the bittersweet experience. I have a couple of "Robin Hood" arrows around here, but getting one screwed up that SET of arrows... arghh! yes, I used to weigh them out, and match them by the half dozen...

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I am fully responsible for fetching, weighing, and sizing my indoor aluminum arrows and outdoor carbons. I hate losing/breaking them!

Tomorrow If I can find the time...I might just shoot.