Curtis Smith
6/23/19
Interpersonal Communication
Fishing for Happiness
When I was younger, my father used to take my brother and me to Kernersville Lake Park. We would wake up at 5:00am to be at the park when it opened and be the first one’s on the water. The three of us would carry the fishing rods and the big green tackle box that belonged to my grandfather down to the dock. We would rent a boat for $2 an hour and spend all morning catching catfish. I remember reeling my bait in after 15 minutes of waiting and my dad would say softly, “You have to be patient.” We would leave and get McDonald’s for breakfast and then go home to take a nap and enjoy the rest of our Saturday. This is one of, if not the earliest memory I have of fishing. Thinking about this experience not only makes me feel nostalgic, but thankful for my parents and siblings. By taking us fishing, my father passed down a tradition that has been in our family for generations. He also taught his children a valuable skill that we could use and eventually pass down to our own kids, thus continuing the tradition.
As I grew older, I became more interested in bass fishing than anything else. I would buy my own equipment, watch YouTube videos to learn different techniques, go fishing with my friends, (this usually resulted in more trouble than fishing.) But more recently, I have come to realize that to me, fishing isn’t about just catching fish. It is about being with people you care about, being in nature, and most importantly, being in the moment.
Some of my best memories are getting into trouble while fishing. Whether it be, running from the guy who’s land we trespassed on, leaving school a bit early to hit our favorite pond, or making fun of the one friend who had to go to the bathroom in woods. These memories will forever be laughing points for my friends and me. Whenever I come home from college, my brothers and I go fishing together and always have a great time. We reminisce on childhood memories or just talking about what’s going on in our lives today. I recently took my girlfriend fishing as she had never been before. She had an absolute blast and it was the perfect idea for a first date because it was very personal, and we really got to know each other.
For my Interpersonal Communication class this summer, I was given the task of being “technology free” for 1 hour every day for a week. I decided to go fishing one day that week and put away my phone. What I discovered was that I completely focused on my surroundings. I was focused on the sound of the water hitting the bank, frogs and fish splashing, the way the sun felt on my skin, the way the air smelled, I even caught a bigger fish because I saw it in shallow water rather than looking at my phone while I was walking to the next spot. I enjoyed myself so much that when I finally looked at my phone, two and a half hours had passed. I sat on a hill by the lake and watched the sunset over the trees. The sky was a mixture of pink and blue and the clouds were barely visible. I said to myself “this is a happy moment.” It had been the first time in a long time that I had really watched a sunset.
Being in the moment is not only important in our everyday lives, but also in fishing. You have to be ready for the unexpected, for the moment the big fish hits your line, for when you get caught in a tree and lose your lure, for when the lake is crowded and you have to look behind you before you cast because you don’t want to hurt anyone. These fishing scenarios can be applied symbolically to real life. You have to be prepared for the unexpected, be able to seize the big opportunities that come, and be kind to others. Take the time to notice the little things in your life that you would otherwise overlook and be especially thoughtful of those “happy moments.” When the fish aren’t biting or the weather is bad, remember that things will get better, your situation will improve. But also, instead of trying to improve your bad situation, think about how this situation could improve you. Think about what is making this a bad situation and if you can control it or not. Is this situation bad because I am impatient? Maybe I should try harder? Do I give up too easily? We will all go through hard times in our lives, it’s about how we bounce back after those hard times that defines us. Not only that, but if we embrace those hard times and really look at them as life lessons instead of just bad situations, we will have the power to change ourselves for the better in so many ways. We will have the power to notice our own flaws and as painful as it may be, come to terms with them.
By teaching me how to fish, my father also taught me patience, determination, perseverance, attention to detail, and many more attributes that I will use not only on the water, but in my personal life and eventually, work life. Taking me fishing those many Saturday mornings were some of the greatest gifts I could ever have been given. My Interpersonal Communication class has shown me that my favorite hobby is so much more than that. It is a way for me to connect with the people I care about the most, a way for me to appreciate nature without feeling the need to tame it, and a way to truly and wholeheartedly be in the moment. “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it’s not the fish they are after.” – H.D. Thoreau.
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