Outdoor Truths - Just Things

At least once a year I fish the Powell River with my friend, Michael. We live about an hour from each other, so these trips are planned a few weeks in advance. Our preferred way of fishing is with light tackle in kayaks. We both love everything the river offers. The Powell is a small river, and while there are some larger smallmouth bass, most of our trophies measure less than 15 inches. But the fight they put up, combined with the pull of the current, gives us plenty of thrills and hours of enjoyment. I am new to the river compared to Michael. My river fishing started only about 15 years ago. Michael's began when he was a child with his dad and brother. Every time we go, I hear stories and lessons from those days on the river. Ed (his dad) was a local postal worker who spent his spare time floating from one stretch of river to the other. He knew every place to put in and take out. Of course he had his favorite bait. And back then, it wasn't kayaks, but Jon boats. A mess of redeyes was as good as any meal you could buy at the local grocery store. While I knew Michael and his whole family as a teenager, I never knew the priorities of his dad. What I've learned from our fishing trips is that Ed had a great sense of what was truly valuable. And what he valued most was what money couldn't buy. I learned this after hearing story after story about how the river would sometimes swallow rods, reels, and anchors. Not to mention glasses, knives, and other tackle. While Ed and the boys had to learn to "deep-sea-dive" to try to retrieve these things when lost, Ed would eventually remind them that they were just that. Things. Replaceable things. There is nothing - no thing- that can trump the value of time on the river, especially the ones with your sons. Rods will be broken. Reels will be lost. The river will claim whatever isn't tied down. But the value of those memories will never diminish. In fact, with each passing year, they will become more valuable. How do I know? I hear it in every story Michael tells. I hope the things you value can't be bought, bent, or broken. I hope they're found in experiences, adventures, and people - maybe even in the moments that involve losing or breaking those things that were, after all, only things.

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Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org

Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men's events for churches and associations. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org