Once and Future
2011-02-06 17:04:51
Well I certainly am not close to the best at anything in the world. But I think it is very fulfilling to rise to the challenge of trying to figure this way of life out. And I think there is no harm in that. I draw some inspiration from a woman (oddly enough) who was quoted in a source I don't remember. She was gillnetting Bristol Bay at the time of the last price crash. And for some reason, she said: "I'm 50 years old. I can do what I want. I don't have to be good at it.". Well I thought that was a wonderful attitude. She knew life gets away fast. She didn't care what someone else thought about whether a woman belonged out there, or if she was good enough, or if she would fail. She was going to do what she wanted while she could. Anyone over 40 knows how fast 20 years go by once they're in the rear view mirror. I've got maybe 10 or 15 active years left in me. When I was 19 I was a deckhand on a troller. And it was the best thing I ever found in my whole life. So now I have come back to it. Because once you're in the box, it's too late to do something different.
Now I know I am going off a bit because Salty didn't really mean anything offensive by his comments. And I hope someday I know enough to go find my own fish. I avoid following others around pretty strongly. The one exception may be when the deckhand fouls the gear up and I have to go in the cockpit. Then I might tell him to steer and "just follow that guy" for a while because I think that is the best way to keep him from getting in someone elses's way. So if a boat is following you obnoxiously for 45 minutes, please keep in mind the situation may not be what you think.
My fishing LLC is named "One Hundred Years". That comes from something an old guy said. My Dad lived a very impressive life, and was well respected in his community. (Not by ocean by the way.) A friend of mine was reminiscing about how hard my Dad and his Dad worked in their lives. And his uncle was there, who was our father's contemporary. And he caught me off guard by saying: "In a hundred years, who will know?" And it made me kind of sad. Because I have always aspired to live up to my father's example. And I know I could never succeed. At this guy pointed out that not only will I be insignificant in the future, but so will my father's legacy. But in a way, that's kind of liberating. Don't let fear of failure hold you back. Because if we try things and fail, in a hundred years, no one will remember anyway. Win OR lose.