Can you remember the excited
anticipation of the many “firsts” that you had as a kid? Was it riding a bike for the first time, your
first kiss, or maybe jumping off a diving board was more your thing? These are
things that you never did before, but you were excited to learn. Just before taking that first step your heart
may have been racing and you probably played the “what if” game in your head
many times. “What if I crash my bike?” “What if I kiss like a fish?” “What if I
belly flop?” However, eventually you
took action; you started to peddle, you puckered up, and you jumped! You were
nervous, but you did it anyway. Afterward you probably strutted around and
thought, “it wasn’t that hard.” As a kid there were many firsts and each one
had its own level of excitement and anticipation.
The “first” that stands out for me
was fishing alone in a canoe. I was 12 and at Boy Scout camp. We arrived Friday
evening and after getting camp set up, I wandered the area and found the Mississippi
River bordering one side. This was where it was going to happen. Standing on
the sandy bank I scanned the landscape. Next to me were canoes overturned to
keep rain water from puddling up in them. The bank was wide open and hot from
the summer sun beating on it all day. Looking out to the river, the speed of
the flowing water was tough to gauge for a newbie. A leaf in the water seemed
to quickly sail by; a branch lumbered by considerably slower. Next, the
opposite bank of the river caught my attention. Large trees created a canopy
overhead; it looked much cooler with many shadowy places. The water seemed
slower there as well. The sun would be setting soon so I headed back to camp to
get a good night sleep and be rested to hit the water at sunrise.
A good night sleep didn’t happen.
My mind was racing with thoughts of which lure to use first and how to maneuver
the canoe through the current. Eventually, the weight of my eyelids won. The
sun was coming up after what felt like 30 minutes of sleep, but it didn’t
matter because I was quickly heading for the river. Arriving at the river bank
I grabbed a canoe, turned it over, threw a paddle and fishing gear in, and slid
it towards the water’s edge. Slowly I pushed the canoe perpendicular into the
river. The leading point of the canoe was quickly grabbed by the current, so I
pulled the canoe back ashore. This forward and back action went on for several
minutes keeping my goal of reaching the other bank out of reach. Finally, I
decided to just go for it. I shoved the canoe into the river, jumped in and was
quickly drifting down river. The excitement was immense as the canoe swirled in
the current. I grabbed the paddle, gained control, and worked my way to the
opposite bank. It was more beautiful than first suspected. There were backwash
areas, lots of underwater structure, and the current was much slower. It
allowed for many casts to be made before the need to paddle. The lure of choice
was a frog pattern, Hula Popper. This top water bait makes a low “plump” sound
when the rod is jerked slightly. The calm backwash areas were perfect for
popping the bait. After one of the low plumps the water exploded and a small
mouth bass wraps its lips around the artificial frog and proceeded to dance above
and below the water surface. Eventually, I brought the bass into the canoe
where it weighed just less than 3lbs. I
released it back into river; that was enough for the morning and I was getting
hungry. I paddled back to the other bank, landed the canoe, and strutted around
on the river’s edge and thought, “that wasn’t hard!”
 |
| Who wouldn't want to wrap their lips around this? |
As adults we can get in our own way
and lose at the “what if” game. Thirty plus years later, I remember that
morning like it was yesterday. There will always be naysayers or excuses that
keep you from achieving your goal. When
there’s a goal you want to achieve, think like a kid and just go for it.
Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
No comments:
Post a Comment