Fishing

When I was the Scoutmaster in Carson City the troop would go camping every month. It was the best calling I've ever had. I loved going out with the scouts. I always came prepared with a spiritual thought for the Scoutmaster Minute during the fireside. I've previously posted about training fleas so I won't go into those details - they can be found in the archives, most likely November of 2010. Anyway that was one of the lessons I shared at the fireside. There were several others that I shared and I hope the boys got something out of them. Anyhow, training fleas has to do with rejection. Whenever I'd talk to a group of boys or technicians about fleas I would always close with something like "don't be a flea". I need that sometimes.

Scouts like to go fishing. I have never been a great fisherman myself but I do enjoy casting and reeling. That is a good thing cause that is all I ever tend to do. I might get a nibble now and again, just something to tease me and keep me going. In the end I never bring home the fish and after a while I grow tired of casting and reeling with not results at which point I will retire the rod and reel and go jump in the lake. I don't really mind not catching the fish because I don't particularly enjoy fish. I do like jumping in the lake though.

I remember going fishing in Hawaii when I was a deacon. We went out to the Island Hopper pier in Waimanalo where parts of Magnum PI were filmed. There was a huge fish that was hanging out under the pier and I was trying to catch it. Ended up it was a bait stealer. Anyway, I remember trying to keep my bait in front of the fish and leaning over the side of the pier pushing the rod further and further under the pier when I lost my grip and dropped the rod in the water. It sank to the bottom and the fish swam away. So there I was sitting a top the pier while my rod and reel were sitting on the ocean floor. Actually I think that it was Jim's get up and I thought he would work me over if I came home without it so I was trying to figure out how to get it. Ahhh, Jonas Otsuji jumped in, swam down and got it. I always did like Jonas.

Fishing is one of those things that can lend itself to a lot of rejection. I get rejected a lot when I go fishing. As I pull my empty line out of the water the fish like to jump out and say "no worries mate, there are plenty of fish in the sea". Yes there are and so I try again, and again, and again until I finally either set my gear aside or drop it in the water.

I'm beginning to learn that dating is a lot like fishing. For me that means that there is a lot of rejection. I keep trying, all be it slowly. Being rejected by the fish is not a big deal because I don't like fish. Being rejected in dating hurts because I actually like the ladies that I date. So like the flea who hits his head on the lid of the jar or the scoutmaster that can't catch a fish, I get to the point when it is easier to stop trying. Why bother continuing to do something that leads to pain? Maybe because I need to I guess. I have to hold on to hope that one day I will find a lady that is looking for my particular brand of bait. Oh there have been a few that I really hoped would be lured in but apparently my babe magnetism lacks, well, magnetism. Maybe I should just forget it, drop my pole and jump in the lake.