Two weekends ago my friend and I met at the lake on the only day we were both able to fish. It was 34 degrees when we launched with 20 mile per hour winds. One of us stated half-seriously that if fishing sucked, we could always trailer the boat early and head off for lunch, or breakfast if we reached that conclusion earlier. Neither of us really meant that, and we fished until well into the afternoon, at which point the mercury had risen a whopping 2 degrees up to 36. The occasional snow flurries were a nice touch.
To some, that’s not much better than a sharp stick in the eye, I suppose, but I was really glad that we went. It was a fun day, we caught a few fish, and the bonus of the crappy weather was that there weren’t many boats on the water.
As I retold the story to a co-worker the following Monday, she expressed disbelief-bordering-on-disgust that anyone would voluntarily submit themselves to that experience. I calmly and non-judgmentally explained that not only had it been fun, but more importantly that I felt bad for anyone who doesn’t have something they’re so passionate about that they’ll endure semi-miserable conditions to experience it.
That’s the lesson I’ve taken away from a family where no two people have the same passion, but each of us has something that means the world to us. Life is about purpose, and if you don’t have something that drives you, even when no one’s forcing you to get out of bed or put on long underwear to do it, I can’t imagine it being very fulfilling. If you’re not in that boat I’ll channel my inner Jay-Z: “I feel bad for you, son.”
If you’re reading this blog non-accidentally, then there’s a chance that you too have fished in 30-something degree temperatures. Is it fun? Often not. Is it worthwhile? Absolutely. I thought of this more as I listened to a recent episode of Bass Talk Live where Matt Pangrac and Matt Stefan talked about convenience stores and hardware stores. Stefan said he can’t walk into the latter without looking for random products that might apply to bass fishing or boating. I do the same thing – from zip ties to tools to storage systems, how can this make my time on the water better? Will this pair of gloves allow me to cast more efficiently than the one I’m already wearing? What’s the best breakfast sandwich to get you through a morning on the water without having to make a trip to the bank? I suppose that there’s something to be said for people who have a lot of deep interests, and particularly those who are good at multiple things, but if that’s not feasible, then a deep dive into something extra-meaningful is the way to go.
I’ve fished in snow, I’ve fished in blinding rain, and I’ve fished in 110 degree temperatures. I’ve earned my stripes, but it doesn’t feel that way. It hasn’t felt like work at all.
