Good grief I feel like I am getting older and older everyday, everything just hurts more and more.
“God I need some Advil,” I think to myself.
Since I have moved to Atlanta I swear my bones are hating the humidity. What I thought might have been an old injury from falling at a creek in Virginia just before I moved here is actually arthritis… great. Hey that is just the price we pay for getting older I guess. But can we let that shit get us down, no. Sometimes in life you just have to keep believing, never let yourself give up. Thus it is with old outdoorsmen, I really don’t even classify myself strictly as a fly fisherman anymore… nature is my home; my veins are the creeks and rivers, the water is my blood. the mountains and forests are my bones, muscles, and my heart… most of all they are my heart.
Once upon a time, long ago, I promised myself that I would live my life with every step, that I would be mindful of each step, that I would smile with each breath. Over the years of constant drama – whether it was moving, stress from work, relationships ending – I lost touch with not only this promise, but also who I was down to my old bones. Now I come full circle and realized once again who I am and what makes me want to live. Life is precious, but to truly enjoy it you must live and you must share it. We are all stewards of life, but most of all of we all have a bit of Peter Pan in us that refuses to grow up, to have such wonderful adventures. My adventures are exploring, fishing, sharing my love of fishing, and preserving what makes me who I am so that others like myself can also enjoy them.
So why the hell am I being so philosophic on a website dedicated to promoting fly fishing here in the Southeastern US, well the mission statement says it all… I am dedicated to promoting… this is promoting. Sometimes people need a swift kick in the ass to remind them that we all have a purpose, a motto, something that we live and die by, something that makes us smile as we do it. What makes me feel alive is being outdoors, some people do not like certain aspects of being outdoors, they can not let go of the connection to the modern technological world for five minutes, much less an entire day. Or you have those that need the outdoors to calm the demons in their mind. So I try to promote fly fishing to see if this will help them to find their purpose. Some people complain that I put too much information on this website, that they fucking hate that I am giving away my knowledge to total strangers that could lead to heavier pressure on streams… well so be it. If I can help one person to get outside, to connect to their purpose that they might have never found without my help then all of the naysayers words mean nothing to me.
Also If I can get one person to clean up their trash on a stream bank, to leave no trace then once again my motto is being fulfilled. Fly fishermen love their water’s, but they most of all love clean water. Look you don’t have to join Trout Unlimited or any other organization, I know I stress good habitats on here a lot, and as a member of Trout Unlimited I mention the organization a lot. However you don’t have to join to be a good steward of our waters. But always be mindful that you are a steward, never slack in this purpose. If you see someone else’s trash pick it up and bag it, don’t be a wuss if you see someone leaving their trash behind, harass them to leave no trace. If they are still a douche pick it up yourself and carry it out. You are a steward after all.
Remember always that you are alive, listen to Peter once in awhile, take a leap, go on a wonderful adventure. Most of all smile and be at peace.
Fly Bum Outdoors 