Teachings of Life Through the River

My father was always a man of infinite knowledge for those willing to listen. Unbeknownst to him, his knowledge extends beyond what he has to teach. For example, when asked how to clean a fish, he goes through the process in great detail. From where the incision is made to de-scaling the fish, he would always emphasize the care, attention to the smallest detail. With every lesson, the majority of his teachings show how no matter how long the task, any person will always have enough time to finish what they set out to do. As with most aspects of life the same principles apply.

The most memorable time of my life was my father’s ecstatic look when I said I would love to learn how to fly fish. When camping as a child of eight years old, my parents, sister, our two dogs and I would go for a hike. During most hikes, we would trek near a small creek or tributary, my father would take off, on his own, to fly fish. I could only stand in awe as the fly line’s arc, still wet, would glisten over my father’s head during each cast. I wasn’t of age to learn the art quite yet. My mother would grab the back of my shirt and drag me back to the hiking trail for fear of me falling in. With every time she pulled me back, I would dig my heels into the ground and flail my arms violently to try and loosen her grip. All I wanted to do was watch and contemplate in my father’s love and splendor for fly fishing. The day eventually came when I was of age to learn the art of fly fishing.

At the age of twelve or so, he popped the question, “do you want to learn how to fly fish” and all the heavy gates lifted. To me, learning how to fly fish would finally bring me that one step closer into the same graces of manhood where my father already stood, patience, ...

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...re will always be a long, treacherous path ahead. This path is almost always a bumpy one and is most definitely not a straight one. In one class, a person may completely disagree with a teacher and never heed any of their advice. In others, the teacher could very well be one, if not the only reason for even attending that class. No matter what the circumstances, patience will play an extreme role in anyone’s successful journey through education. Now, patience is never the only thing that gets a person through, determination plays the role of perpetuating the patience, much like catching your dinner. For many, the determination is to attain a better, more fulfilled life. For some, the goal is merely to have fun with their career in the future. Whatever the case may be, patience, determination, and, if that person has it, a little bit of finesse will take anyone far.