Bouncing Around in Choppy Seas

Peter's Journal May 6, 2008

A few weeks ago I dressed down the participation in idle inane chatter that so dominates the lives of so many people today.   I went back and looked at what I wrote because I did not say why I think this is serious enough to write about.  Much work to be done, so little time, the escape button has not been pushed yet, thus making something of every conversation is crucial.  Yes, I can still laugh and play, and yes all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but we all can relax when the ship called mother earth is redirected.

I was on a ship recently.  A 41 foot fishing boat to be exact.  I caught one fish in 4 hours so I had lots of time to think about all kinds topics.  I was off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale trolling for dinner with my chef son Brad, but all I caught was a 24 inch kingfish which is good for bait but not much else.  Brad caught two huge amberjacks (approximately 65-70 pounds each) which we released. 

I thought about the juxtaposition of huge container ships with their decks stacked high bringing American’s more and more goods every day.  Our lives have become stacked with stuff and as I tried to literally catch dinner I realized how dependent we have become on others for providing us with the necessities of life, as well as the junk we do not need.   How many of us could feed ourselves if necessary?  We are totally dependent on the bounty of the harvest from the sea and the land worked by fishermen and farmers.  The seas are being fished out, the farms ruined with chemicals, and we do not seem to notice. 

Brad and I bounced around in choppy seas, perhaps a fitting metaphor for the world I am leaving Brad, Jen, Laura and grandchildren Belle, Theo, and Megan.  Life for millions is already being lived out on rough seas and how soon before the majority of the planet will face the forces of Mother Nature on a daily basis. 

I love to fish, and though encouraged to mount Brad’s trophy amberjack, we both saw the irony of stuffing a fish and hanging it on a wall.  Already we realize the trophy heads of lions, tigers and rhinos on walls may be the only place we see them as they disappear in the wild.  Game fish may too follow suit.

Thus, let’s continue to talk about fishing, but not just in the same old way, but rather add the dimension of care about this marvelous world of creatures into our vocabulary.  Every fisherman must be concerned, even from a selfish point of view, if that is the only point of view taken.  Preservation is the responsibility of us all and unless we talk about it we will not do it.  Thanks for talking about a fun topic seriously.