Comments on: Derby Day ‘08 http://flyfishingdish.com/2008/05/05/derby-day-08/ All about the Joys of Fly Fishing Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:02:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: sidelines7 http://flyfishingdish.com/2008/05/05/derby-day-08/#comment-67 sidelines7 Mon, 05 May 2008 17:38:36 +0000 http://flyfishingdish.com/?p=39#comment-67 I once had the opportunity to take a young boy out fishing for the first time at the pond behind his house. His parents were almost never around to spend time with him, and he spent the better part of his life in day-care facilities or with his elderly grandmother who could do very little in the form of educational interaction. I was babysitting him one afternoon, when he ran into the room holding a brand-new fishing pole. it had never been opened, and the layer of dust on the plastic packaging suggested that he'd possessed it for a good span of time. He tugged on my shirt, announcing that he was going fishing out back and needed help finding his bait. And so we took a bucket and went outside in search of worms. After about fifteen minutes of looking under various rocks and logs, we had come up with only a hand-full of tiny earthworms and a few pill bugs. I asked the boy if he needed help hooking his worm, and he responded with "Huh?" The poor child had never actually experienced fishing before, he'd only seen it in cartoons that he watched every morning. Over the next hour, I showed him the ropes, and had a lot of fun doing it too. If you ever get the chance to change a kids life with five minutes of your time, I suggest you take it. It not only gives them the guidance they need, but it also provides the love and security they crave. I once had the opportunity to take a young boy out fishing for the first time at the pond behind his house. His parents were almost never around to spend time with him, and he spent the better part of his life in day-care facilities or with his elderly grandmother who could do very little in the form of educational interaction. I was babysitting him one afternoon, when he ran into the room holding a brand-new fishing pole. it had never been opened, and the layer of dust on the plastic packaging suggested that he’d possessed it for a good span of time. He tugged on my shirt, announcing that he was going fishing out back and needed help finding his bait. And so we took a bucket and went outside in search of worms.

After about fifteen minutes of looking under various rocks and logs, we had come up with only a hand-full of tiny earthworms and a few pill bugs. I asked the boy if he needed help hooking his worm, and he responded with “Huh?” The poor child had never actually experienced fishing before, he’d only seen it in cartoons that he watched every morning. Over the next hour, I showed him the ropes, and had a lot of fun doing it too.

If you ever get the chance to change a kids life with five minutes of your time, I suggest you take it. It not only gives them the guidance they need, but it also provides the love and security they crave.

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