Rewards

REWARDS

No matter what type of drought one experiences, there will be the rewards of a harvest and plenty for those who persist.

It has been an embarrassingly long run of fishing since I have caught a reasonable number or a reasonable sized fish on excursions alone or with one of my sons. Except for a guided trip last year in which all four of us caught a number of sharks, it has been slim pickings for the past six to seven years for me. Even my youngest son said a few months ago, in a gesture of support, "Dad, I don't know if I could continue fishing as persistently as you do if I had gone so long without a good outing." He catches large bass regularly from creeks in the Friendswood area where he lives. His statement was a left-handed compliment, and he meant well by it. Of course, he is one of the reasons I persist. Our fishing time together yields stories and memories we'll pass along for decades.

About two months ago, we bought a small inflatable boat and six horsepower motor for getting out quickly, easily and quietly. This sturdy little combination has already given us the chance to tool around area waters in search of alligator gar, alligators, fish and discovery. This weekend we decided to try launching from the shore in Freeport and then motor out far enough to possibly encounter shark, trout, redfish or other interesting fish. A month ago, my youngest and one of his brothers talked about me breaking my fishing doldrums with an "old man and the sea" sort of experience. Clearly their message had a dual meaning.

We headed into the short waves about 9:30 Saturday morning and by 9:45 we were watching dolphins surface nearby, birds feeding, baitfish darting and swirls enticing us. From our position, essentially at the water's surface, we experienced fish feeding frenzies in which shark and other aggressive feeders tear into schools of baitfish while birds dive in from above to join the feast. It was quite an experience to be so close to such activity.

One such frenzy occurred quite close to us, boiling up as my bait was landing into the water. Moments later a fish and I were connected, and it peeled line off my heavy surfcasting reel as I watched. My son pulled in our makeshift anchor and, while the fish pulled us around, he started the motor and soon we were in pursuit of the fish. It zigged and zagged, catching up in the line of a woman fishing in a boat nearby and cutting her line. Soon, her leader was knotted on the end of my rod. My "guide" loosened it enough for the fight to continue. I called out to our neighbor, "We'll bring your leader back when we're done!" We also joked about being pulled to Cuba. "Old man and the sea" thoughts crossed my mind often.

Not wanting a large shark near our inflatable boat with sharp fins (or teeth!), I asked him several times, "you have your knife ready to cut the line?" This tug of war went on for quite a while until we had a jack crevalle inside the boat. About three and one-half feet long, guesstimating a weight of 15-20 pounds, this fish represented the first fish caught from our little boat, the largest fish I have ever caught, the most interesting fish adventure with any of my sons, and an outing never to be forgotten. The photo my son took with his cell phone is now the wallpaper for his phone and mine.

Neither of us are ready to turn professional now, but the weekend's adventure was beyond our wildest imagination. It was the product of never giving up. And while the fish is something to be quite proud of, the best thing it gave us was yet another story to carry for decades. Rewards come to those who persist, and usually it comes as something other than was hoped for in the first place.

Passing of Time

The last week or so I cited someone's comment to me that the passing of time was obviously important to me. I have considered that reality and wondered how long that has been going on. Is this a midlife matter or something that rests at a more cellular level. As I've thought about the matter, I found clues further and further in my past when I was touched or concerned about the passing of time. A poem that I wrote at age 17 about honoring an old man and wondering whether he had hard feelings of lost abilities and memories was clearly influenced by Neil Young's "Old Man." The song was influential, and I was naturally receptive.

But today, as I struggle for words with this week's Listen to Life newsletter, I select tunes that take me back to a different time and place. "Puff the Magic Dragon" plays and the answer comes clear. The reason that I still cry when I read Sly Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" is the same reason that after a few listens to "Puff" as a young kid, I could not listen to it for decades. They both to speak to the changes, the losses, and the mortality of aging, and how that changes relationships. They also speak to the permanence of love throughout.

The passing of time has always concerned and intrigued me; I've done my best to honor that through my creative outlets as an adult. I realize that this concern is nothing new that I need to re-align to forge into the future. My concern for changes manifested over time and for the lasting of love and relationships was written into my DNA. The question remains, what do I do with this? and now how can I get rid of this?

Book sample

Please take a moment to check out sample chapters of my book at http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/book_excerpt.asp?bookid=30244. The samples touch on beauty, leaving relationships, the best self-help tool, and the power of pillow talk.

Enjoy.

The Journey continues

The old joke comes to mind...the one about the man who says God will take care of him as the huge hurricane is coming. At different stages of the flood, up until the time when the man is on his roof, various people come by to help him evacuate from the dangerous situation. Each time, he replies, "God will take care of me." When he drowns and goes to heaven, he says to God, "I thought you were going to take care of me." "I tried," God replied, "with the neighbor, the fireman and then the Coast Guard guy."

The dual messages come to mind next: do we really know when and how God is influencing us and/or our lives? and God's work is done through God's people.

I struggle with both issues on a daily basis. Are the multitude of frustrations in one realm of my life actually "signals" to leave that situation for something different, or are they shaping and forging me to do God's work there? I prefer to think it is the latter, but I wonder if it is the first. Perhaps circumstances are God's way of saying, "time to move on to your calling. See? There is nothing for you where you are." Or is it that? Only prayer and discernment provides some clues, but never the clear answers.

No matter what the message is, it is undoubtable that people are the hands and feet of God, i.e., the physical presence. Each opportunity to meet someone new, or to interact genuinely, is the chance to access just a bit more of His power, grace and flame.

Generation improvements

There is much talk about whether the boomer generation's children will be the first to be worse off than their parents. Or maybe it is the generation X's kids. Whatever. People are looking for the place in the "how good we're doing" curve that it declines. Generational "keeping up with the Jones'" among other things, but there is more going on here.

For those keeping score, it tends to be based on possessions, wealth and job futures. How about health, medical care, freedom to experience, and other things?

I have no idea whether my three sons will make more than I am making. My oldest now makes more in his own business than I did at his age in my own business. Adjusted for inflation, it is likely still more. I was married and he was born when I was his age now, which has some implications, too. Upon greater review of each of the boys (ages 25, 21, 14), I know they are better off in many ways, and I'm proud to say so. The ways they are better off speak more to their potential future lives than whether they make more than me, have more than me or anything else that is wealth or consumption related at comparable ages.

I can safely say that at comparative ages to me, each has been more confident, mentally tough, competitive, charming, confidently curious, and expressive of their thoughts. The checkbook measurables don't much matter to me any more.

Music of Son and Father

The Living Years--Mike and the Mechanics (birth)
Arms Wide Open--Creed (raising)
Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin (raising)
Younger Generation--Loving Spoonful (raising)
Father and Son--Cat Stevens (about time to move on)
Child's Song--Tom Rush (child leaving)

I listen to these songs to remember growing up and to remember my sons are, too. These explain the cycle about as well as any psychology or parenting book ever could.

The Journey: Part Five

The conversation was about parents, fitting on Mother's Day. Then he said, "She told me that a child's first impressions of God comes in the actions of the parents." Zing.

I thought of when I explained to a struggling friend that God was "mega-dad," a loving and caring father figure. Or to my sons that God was caring, though not afraid of disciplining, but largely leaving us to our own decisions. Example upon example substantiated the claim made to my friend about parents' roles in shaping impressions of God.

It didn't take long to get to the next step: responsibility. Parents have a responsibility to share concepts of faith, love, charity, respect, not only for the current day behavior of their children, but also their children's perceptions of the divine that will affect them for a lifetime.