Like most elementary school age kids, I looked forward to the last
day of school with great
anticipation. I knew that the following morning I would be on my
way to Corsicana to spend the
next month or so with my grandparents, Dorothy and Avery Jackson.
Nearly everyday of that
month, I would be fishing with my grandfather and brothers on a
local stock tank or small lake.
I could hardly wait to get to town to see if I got a new cane pole.
Most outdoor enthusiast are familiar with the saying, "get
a kid hooked on fishing, not on
drugs". As a society we spend a great deal of time and money
teaching young people about the
dangers of drugs and the importance of staying away from them. But,
how much energy do we
expend actually giving them something to do with their time. Someone
once said, "an idle mind
is the devil's workshop".
One answer might be, take a kid fishing. A person wrote, "give
a man a fish and you feed him
for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".
I would like to take that one step
further: give a kid a fish and you feed his character for a day,
teach a kid to fish and you feed his
character for a lifetime. Teach a youngster to love the outdoors
and chances are you won't have
to worry about him/her getting into serious trouble.
As the oldest of three boys, growing up during my teenage years
in a single parent
household, I am convinced that I was able to stay out of serious
trouble, in part, due to my
love of the outdoors. I spent a great deal of my time fishing or
hunting. I always had something
to occupy my idle time.
Fishing is the number one leisure sport in America. For the cost
of a baseball glove, a good
leather football or basketball, you can outfit a young person to
fish. I started with a cane pole
and 30 years later have about 25 rod and reels and boxes full of
tackle.
A bucket of minnows or a carton of worms wouldn't cost you more
than a couple of packs of
cigarettes or a six pack of beer. What you would get in return from
the look on a kid's face when
he/she catches a fish, is priceless.
How much are you doing to help our young people stay off of drugs
or out of serious trouble.
I would challenge everyone reading this article to take at least
one youngster fishing this spring
or summer. Whether its your own child or a kid you know that may
be making some bad
decisions, reach out and make a difference in that kids life. Teach
him/her to fish and how to
enjoy the great outdoors.
Bob Sealy's McDonalds Big Bass Tournament, is being held on May
16 & 17 at
Richland-Chambers Reservoir at the Clearview Marina located on Highway
287. Kids 12 and
under can compete in their own division for exciting prizes at the
cost of a $5 entry fee each
day. They can fish from the shoreline. Fishing from a boat is not
required. What a great
opportunity to make a difference in a young persons future.
Until next time,
enjoy the Texas outdoors.
