From the earliest memories I have to the ones I’m currently creating now they all have a common thread binding them together, a twenty foot fishing boat. Since I was able to walk I have been spending most of my Saturday afternoons in that twenty foot fishing boat with my grandpa and dad. Like the mailman we would go out on the water rain or shine. However I wasn’t partial to the rain, the rough weather scared me as a young boy. Nevertheless like going to work or school I always knew what my schedule was for Saturday wake up at six o’clock, arrive at my grandpa’s between seven and seven fifteen, load the gear, launch the boat, and set forth for another day on the water. Granted not all these trips produced a bounty of fish, however they did reward me with something better, a strong bond with my grandpa and dad that I still have today.
As I grew older I began to value the time I was spending with my grandpa and dad rather than just the fishing trips alone. I was able to receive not only fatherly advice but grandfatherly advice on these trips. Whether that advice came in the form of stories that they were telling or straight up hit you in the mouth type guidance I was constantly learning how to become a better person. My grandpa, who is frugal with his resources, taught me to waste nothing from tackle to money it was all in limited supply and needed to be used sparingly. While my dad, whose motto was if you’re going to do something do it right the first time, taught me that it never worthwhile to take the easy way out. I was being modeled like apiece clay and I didn’t even know it and for that I am grateful. So as I look back on the past twenty years I can thank that twenty foot fishing boat for providing my grandpa, dad and I a medium for which to grow closer as a family as well as friends.
Thanks for the post! I really liked the imagery and tone that you used to tell this story. I never had any real bonding experiences with my father or grandfathers, and reading your post makes me somewhat envious of your childhood..
ReplyDeleteYour writing is vivid and lively- the only suggestion I have is this: you paint a clear picture of your dad and grandpa in your story, you flesh out their character and philosophy very well. However, it's also quite apparent that the "twenty foot fishing boat" plays a big part in the story too, but you don't go into much detail about this boat. Maybe it could lend its own "character" to the story if you gave it a little more life. Whose boat was it? What did it look like? Was it new and shiny? Or a family heirloom?
Overall though, I really enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing, I'm looking forward to future stories!
You bring up some points the boat does seem to lose some of its life in this blog. I guess I was more focused on the role it played as a focal point I never gave it the attention it deserved. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
ReplyDeleteI love being on boats and fishing. I used to be in the Coast Guard, so I have definitely spent a lot of time on a boat. I used to live in Sitka, Alaska and we used to fish for king salmon and halibut. If you have never been to Alaska, I definitely recommend taking a vacation up there sometime.
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