Gone Fishing
GONE FISHING
We have all heard the saying “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, But teach a man to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime”. Now imagine if feeding the man wasn’t why the man went fishing in the first place. What if men taught men to fish not only because it delivered a satisfying fullness to their bellies, but because they knew that it also meant they would get to enjoy a emotionally fulfilling unexplained feeling they had all once felt. Beneath the obvious reason as to why people sit patiently on a boat watching the still waters from sunrise to sunset, there exists a deeper meaning. A deeper understanding to why so many people find fishing so exhilarating, yet tranquilizing. There’s a reason why men rush out to the waters after work days, or designate a certain day of the weekend just for fishing, and although not every person can understand this type of relationship, these characters do exist, and my father fit this description to a tee. My father has always had an abundance of fishing gear. Numerous rods and reels sit patiently in his shed, waiting to be acquainted with the hand again, each one placed along the wall perfectly. Different colored fishing lures, imitation bait, hooks and multi colored lines bubble over the tackle box with no hope of it ever snapping shut. Fishing wet suits hang perfectly in his shed as thought a quick jump up into them and you would be ready to head out, and on any given occasion the gift of choice is always the hottest, newest equipment that he longs to receive. The passion he has for this sport was installed through family, like he has done for us. His father loved northern Michigan and would frequently visit, bringing the whole family along. Their home was a mere minutes walk from Lake Leelanau, and being this close made it convenient for all the boys to head to the lake for a days worth of fun. Although much of what he was taught came from his father, he also had five older
We have all heard the saying “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, But teach a man to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime”. Now imagine if feeding the man wasn’t why the man went fishing in the first place. What if men taught men to fish not only because it delivered a satisfying fullness to their bellies, but because they knew that it also meant they would get to enjoy a emotionally fulfilling unexplained feeling they had all once felt. Beneath the obvious reason as to why people sit patiently on a boat watching the still waters from sunrise to sunset, there exists a deeper meaning. A deeper understanding to why so many people find fishing so exhilarating, yet tranquilizing. There’s a reason why men rush out to the waters after work days, or designate a certain day of the weekend just for fishing, and although not every person can understand this type of relationship, these characters do exist, and my father fit this description to a tee. My father has always had an abundance of fishing gear. Numerous rods and reels sit patiently in his shed, waiting to be acquainted with the hand again, each one placed along the wall perfectly. Different colored fishing lures, imitation bait, hooks and multi colored lines bubble over the tackle box with no hope of it ever snapping shut. Fishing wet suits hang perfectly in his shed as thought a quick jump up into them and you would be ready to head out, and on any given occasion the gift of choice is always the hottest, newest equipment that he longs to receive. The passion he has for this sport was installed through family, like he has done for us. His father loved northern Michigan and would frequently visit, bringing the whole family along. Their home was a mere minutes walk from Lake Leelanau, and being this close made it convenient for all the boys to head to the lake for a days worth of fun. Although much of what he was taught came from his father, he also had five older