Not So Serious!
At six a.m. my temperature gauge read eighty degrees. The humidity was stifling. The recent weather has not been fit for man or beast and it’s showing up in the lack of success most fishermen are enduring. I was told by one friend that at one recent bass tournament, the winning weight was less than three pounds. That’s about equal to the amount of sweat lost by the one who caught the fish. My solution for this scenario is that you better learn to have fun.
Most of what we do as hunters and fishermen involves some type of tangible success for our efforts. If we hunt, we are after a certain game. If we fish, our goal is to land something in the boat that is either table or camera worthy. It’s just not that fun if we go home empty handed. This time of year, however, we had better learn how to have fun in the outdoors without these pressures. For instance, I just witnessed my son and his friend at the river. They were not fishing but instead they were taking turns swinging from a tree swing into the water. Now that looked like fun! There was no pressure to kill or catch, but only to enjoy the outdoors in the only way that gave them some sense of pure enjoyment in the summer heat. They played, laughed, got muddy and wet, and came home; nothing more and nothing less.
Sometimes I watch those on television pursue hunting and fishing in some stoic posture. They talk about their adventure with a dignity that just doesn’t fit. They would never dare release a hearty belly laugh or even crack a joke. It seems to be all about how serious they can be or how important they need to portray who they are. I really wish somebody would just sneak up behind them during those times and give them good ole wedgie. (Did I say that?) Lighten up buddy! It’s hunting and fishing! It’s in America! And there are about 50 million people who know about as much as you do! Do I sound jealous, or even a taint bit edgy myself? It’s probably because I never took my turn on that tree swing today. I guess I thought I was too old or too intelligent, or too mature, to lower myself to that kind of outdoor fun. I now wish somebody would have stopped me before I left………. and just gave me a wedgie!
Let’s book a Wild Game Dinner or a Men’s Conference.
Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org