This is the man that everyone wants to root for as he defies age with his exploits deep within the forest in pursuit of deer and bear. Even a prime hunting spot 20 feet above the ground does not deter him from hitting his target.
He is the vibrant billboard of computer generated LED lights proclaiming that ageing does not have to be a slow and graceful decline towards inevitability. Written by Bill Cochran over at Godanriver,com, the story of centenarian plus four years, Clyde Roberts, is both inspiring and heart warming, and the perfect distraction from the chaos in the world during the frenzied week before the Christmas holiday.
Apparently, the legend of Roberts has grown throughout the hunting community in Virginia and into the mainstream news cycle, highlighted by the reality that the grandfather figure hunts with family members and friends, including his granddaughter. Even YouTube videos have documented the outdoor exploits of the 104-year-old wizened phenom, a sobering reality that the man they call Clyde has survived the evolution of the automobile, two world wars, the harnessing of the atom, jet travel, the innovation of television, the moon landing and the proliferation of the internet. Born in 1913, his age makes him possibly the eldest US citizen to actively participate in the official hunting season.
The staggering caveat to Robert’s exploits in the wilderness, is that he has bagged ten deer since passing the century mark. Cochrane’s article and profile of Roberts is a good read and provides motivation for those days that appear to be difficult, when in fact it is simply mind over matter.