Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Down the beaten path.


Life is fleeting and fickle. It can be so much like a river. Sometimes we can choose the path if we can get across the current, other times we are swept by and have to deal with the circumstances we are given. You must be like the water, always flowing and adapting . Just go with the flow, so to speak :)


Sometimes, but not always, science can give us a second chance with many ailments and diseases that could have taken you down in the past. So these are just simply my thoughts and wishes for a broken planet.

My life path has been one of struggle and through it all I have always felt a certain contentment. It is not as if I'm saying "Hey I have lived well and I'm just going to give up!". That is a far cry from the  truth. I have lived a rich life with money being the least of my riches, but I feel I have much more to do and much more to give. I have had more than my share of second chances and many times I have told the hooded reaper knocking on my door it is not yet my time and he has always turned away....

Adversity has given me a different opinion. It has causes me to see life in a totally different way than when I was a frivolous youth.. I think I understand people in a way I haven't before over the years. I am no different than the next person when they see someone who stands out, but in my heart I feel for the person because I wonder how the currents of life have treated this individual. Did they have great luck  and have traveled the slow moving stream with a slow current and a surface as slick as glass or the raging white water that tossed them downstream? Would I have fared any better in their circumstances? Would I have made better decisions? Many would say yes, but do you really know if you have never gone down that path...

 
People want to acceptance and understanding. I cannot speak for every human being out there, there are some so caught up in themselves they cannot see the world outside the one they live in.

I believe in human decency! I have to. Almost every person has a sense of whats wrong and whats right. The problem is that there a certain factors for people to chose the wrong path. The right path is often the hardest.

Here is a list of ideals that apply not only to fishing, but to every day life.

Ambition: I have the ambition to see people smile and to make them laugh. Humoring people is something I have done freely and easily. They say laughter is the best medicine and it has been proven smiles are often contagious! Even on the river a smile from a lone passerby is always a welcome sight.

"Everyday interactions we have with other people are definitely contagious, in terms of happiness," says Nicholas Christakis, a professor at Harvard Medical School and an author of the study.

Compassion: I desire to see the world a happier place, although I know it is a lofty dream I will always dream of it. There are no certain set of perfect circumstances, but each and every person can do their part to make the world a better place. We perceive ourselves as being intelligent beings yet we have problems discerning what is the right thing to do although in our hearts we already know.

Gratitude: The Earth is a vast and rich place, we only need to see the riches for what they are. I wonder how many people care to see the wilderness for the riches of the nature and ecosystems within or is it simply a matter of how can I become rich. Greed has become an ever increasing problem and each episode make me all the more sadder for the rich fool trying to fill a void with paper.



Patience:  Fishing is a great example of learned patience. Our world is one of instant gratification and the here and now. The destination is not always the richest part of the experience, it's the joy of getting there. Whether it's a hike on your favorite trail or the bringing a trophy fish to net. Never forget to slow down and look around you, you might be surprised what else you see.





Steadfastness: I have the firm resolve to stand up and fight for what is right. To defend the weak and the defenseless, the children of mankind and the Earth. we humans are just s spec of our planets history. I hope that we do not remain so, but at the rate we destroy our resources. Animals become extinct when we rape the earth, many ecosystems are exceedingly fragile. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but sometime soon we may feel sorry for what we have done because in the end we kill ourselves out...



There are some simple rules I try to live by. I cannot always follow the rules I set, but I will do my damnedest to.

Treat the earth and all of it's creatures with respect. Be Kind, Listen to people, and Pay it Forward.


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