I bought Colin a fishing pole for his birthday. Chad doesn't know the first thing about fishing, so those duties fall in my lap. We are going camping tomorrow and I decided it was finally time to stock up on some gear and really get into fishing. There is just one problem though. I realized that I know how to bait a hook, cast it out, reel it in, and remove the hook....but the rest? I don't have a clue. No idea how to set up a pole, what kind of fishing line to use, what kind of knot to tie, what kind of bobber or hook to use or anything.
How many summer hours did I spend under a patchy sky, surrounded by aspens at Monticello Lake, catching trout after trout? Countless beautiful hours. I can close my eyes and smell the cheese bait, hear the leaves rustling in the wind, and picture the water snakes.
There were eight of us, and I am telling you, most of us were not independent fishermen.
How many hours did my dad spend setting up fishing poles for his group of ragamuffins?
For that matter, how many hours has he spent driving his kids to Yellowstone or stake dances? This man has been through multiple 15 passenger vans.
How many hours did he spend making breakfast for those kids every morning before school? My youngest sibling Bryce just left on his mission last week, and I would be willing to bet that my dad was sometimes still cooking some extra eggs for him in the morning right up until he left.
How many hours has he spent moving his kids away to college or to a new city with their spouse?
He is not the type to add up the score in his head. I am sure he has never counted.
Just as I am sure he has never counted all the hours he has worked at a relentless job (he has been a high school teacher, and then a principal for the last 30 some years) to support his children.
Thank you Dad, for the hours at Monticello Lake and everything else.
Happy Birthday.
I love you.
