Spreading the country love
I was blessed with the opportunity, over the weekend, to show some city kids what the good ol' south Georgia country was all about. Their dad is my best bud's cousin and they live near orlando where the people are thicker than gnats and crime is rampant.
These kids don't get to go fishing because of the danger (I couldn't imagine being mugged while in my boat fishing!) and because their dad is on the road a lot for business. These folks are well off and they live in their cozy suburban house (mansion by my standards) and I imagine they have the best of everything.
Well, their dad turned a road trip into a vacation and they stopped in for a weekend. We had not "planned" to go to the creek that day, it just happened. It was hot and muggy so we decided to load up the boat, grab a box of fresh crickets and head out. Steve (the dad) lived here 25 years ago or so, so a lot had changed on the creek.
I had more than enough fishing rigs with me and since creek fishing is my forte, I started passing them out, ready for a cricket or beetlespin. Dad showed one kid and I showed the other how to bait a hook and after a few hours of figuring out how it all worked, both kids were catching fish!
We stayed for quite a few hours, neck deep in crystal clear water wading and fishing and just enjoying the beauty of nature (something these kids are exposed to on rare occasion) and the comforting company of one another.
I was able to not only show them fish, but other wild edibles and resources that could be used to sustain a comfortable life with natural materials. It was great exercise, both physically and mentally.
Once the day was done, Steve had some other family he wanted to visit in a nearby town. I came home and whittled out two pristine arrowheads (no pictures) just for the kids to remember the place.
It's not every day we are presented an opportunity to spread the idea of living more closely with the earth. I was blessed with the opportunity and I took advantage of it. I'm sure the kids will never forget the afternoon they spent with the long haired, tattooed, crazy-caveman guy from south Georgia who wore animal skins (etc, etc) and took them fishing for the first REAL time, and I'm sure they'll never forget my favorite place on earth, Spring Creek.
It makes me realize just how special the place is.
Yesterday I took an old friend fishing. She caught enough fish to feed 8 of us last night (our family and hers!). She outfished me in my stomping grounds! She loves fishing but due to financial difficulties, doesn't have a boat or much gear but she was extremely appreciative. Hell it only cost me a buck-seventy-five for bait. That's ashtray change lol. No sweat! and the fish were delicious!
CARPE DIEM!
