The Awkward Moment

A Recent Picture of a Lake Sinclair Sunset

Throughout my college career I've met all kinds of people.  I've come to know a lot of them quite well, while others are simply "school friends" -- the people who I talk to a lot on campus, but we never really hang out in our free time.  Everyone has those types of friends.  Those who know me are well aware of my career choice, while the others probably don't know.  I don't really like to talk about myself, because I'd rather learn about other people.  Surprisingly enough, I am pretty quiet until I get to know someone.

The awkward moment never fails: a "school friend", or even a professor, will ask me about my post-graduation plans and I just grin and plainly reply, "I want to fish and write about fishing".  This is always followed by a seemingly eternal pause, an uncomfortable blank stare, and a reply, usually somewhere within the lines of "oh...um... well I'm sure you'll do great".

I always get a kick out of it.  I think awkward moments are hilarious, and all I can do is laugh.  If I were them, I probably wouldn't know what to say either.  Some kid with a funny accent from Grayson, Georgia wants to fish for a living.  That's not exactly something that you run across everyday!  Many people just don't know much about the fishing or outdoor industries.  I don't take offense to it at all, though.  All I can do is smile and say "thanks".

Being a Business Management major, all of my classes revolve around the corporate world -- climbing to the top of the ladder,  making a bunch of money, buying and selling stocks, analyzing firms' various financial reports, and so on.  A lot of these people just don't understand, and probably never will.  I'm totally fine with that, though.  To each their own.

I just hope that everyone, regardless of their career path, has the opportunity to experience at least one time what I am fortunate enough to experience on a daily basis -- the fluorescent orange sunrise over calm water, the wildlife, the smell of a two cycle engine on a cold morning, the absence of road noise and blowing car horns, the warm summer air blowing while running 65+ miles per hour across a lake, and the incredible thrill of catching and safely releasing a largemouth bass.  I truly believe, with everything that I am, that these things are good for the soul.

I've been doing this for a long time, and I've never seen someone not smile when experiencing these things for the first time.  It's amazing what a day on the water can do for someone.

I don't want to be rich.  I've personally seen money ruin a lot of good people.  I don't want to climb a corporate ladder, work in a cubicle, or wear a suit and tie to work everyday.  I just want to enjoy my life and career, and have the ability to give my future wife and kids the same things that I was blessed with.  That's it.  Nothing more, nothing less.

We are only on this earth for a short time, and I have every intention to make the most of it.  Why do the same thing as everyone else?  Even if a career in the fishing/outdoor industry doesn't work out, I'll always be able to sleep at night because I know that I'm doing everything in my power to make my dreams come true.  The rest is up to the Man Upstairs. 


Good Fishing!