So why now? What purpose would trying to create a blog serve at this point in my life. I tried journaling when my sons were born in hopes of leaving something they could read after I'm gone and get a sense of what things were like before they had a memory. Somehow Life seemed to nix that idea, like it does to so many good intentions.
Which brings me me to where I am now. Literally sitting in the garage, smoking a pipe, and sipping some middle-of-the road Kentucky bourbon. In doing so, I'm struck with an urge to write about who I am, where I come from, where I'm at, and what I can share that might interest someone else. The prompt came from a book that I'm re-reading - "A Place on the Water" written by Jerry Dennis. The chapter I just finished described his fears of wading streams and fishing in the dark. That was when I realized that by all rights I should fear water.
When I was very young, my father and uncle took me swimming in a pond. The irony there is that I couldn't swim. Things were fine until I slipped and went under well over my head. Things became a blur as I tried to push off the bottom but never seemed to reach the surface. According to Dad, my instinct to hold my hand up was the correct one so he could retrieve me. He downplayed the episode, but it impacted me so bad I never actually learned to swim until junior high school.
Several years later we would lose my Dad and youngest brother in a freak kayaking accident. The natural expectation would be that I would have the fear of water re-emerge. But not too many years later, I bought a bass boat. Following that I became a certified scuba diver. As well, I took up and really learned to enjoy fly fishing. All the while with a greater respect of water, but never letting it conquer me.
Which brings me to my revelation tonight. Love of something or someone can overcome all fears. Because of my youngest son, we have two kayaks in order to share our love of fishing. Who am I to let any fear overcome the joy of something we both love to share - time together, success and failure in the outdoors, and the defining of the headwaters that will lead to his river.
Which brings me me to where I am now. Literally sitting in the garage, smoking a pipe, and sipping some middle-of-the road Kentucky bourbon. In doing so, I'm struck with an urge to write about who I am, where I come from, where I'm at, and what I can share that might interest someone else. The prompt came from a book that I'm re-reading - "A Place on the Water" written by Jerry Dennis. The chapter I just finished described his fears of wading streams and fishing in the dark. That was when I realized that by all rights I should fear water.
When I was very young, my father and uncle took me swimming in a pond. The irony there is that I couldn't swim. Things were fine until I slipped and went under well over my head. Things became a blur as I tried to push off the bottom but never seemed to reach the surface. According to Dad, my instinct to hold my hand up was the correct one so he could retrieve me. He downplayed the episode, but it impacted me so bad I never actually learned to swim until junior high school.
Several years later we would lose my Dad and youngest brother in a freak kayaking accident. The natural expectation would be that I would have the fear of water re-emerge. But not too many years later, I bought a bass boat. Following that I became a certified scuba diver. As well, I took up and really learned to enjoy fly fishing. All the while with a greater respect of water, but never letting it conquer me.
Which brings me to my revelation tonight. Love of something or someone can overcome all fears. Because of my youngest son, we have two kayaks in order to share our love of fishing. Who am I to let any fear overcome the joy of something we both love to share - time together, success and failure in the outdoors, and the defining of the headwaters that will lead to his river.
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