Hello again;
I thought today I would share a story of a time when me and the people around me had every reason to be disappointed even depressed but we found a way to have a good time anyway by finding the positives.
In fact this story is referred to in my first book Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light
Which you can find out more about and even purchase at the link above.
Love Of Scouting
Some of the happiest times for me during my high school years were spent in scouting.
I came to the scouts kind of late in life, but I was fortunate that at that time Houston had a troop of all blind and visually impaired scouts.
Troop 962 the eagle patrol.
It was great being with other boys and doing things all kids like to do in spite of our various levels of vision loss.
When together at a meeting or on a camp out we were all just boys. Something that doesn’t or didn’t happen a lot.
Bell Telephone Pioneers
Their primary sponsor was the bell telephone pioneers. These wonderful people would raise money to buy equipment and supplies and volunteer at outings.
They also did things like take blind people to the circus, the zoo, or the Ice-Capades.
Their outings were always inter active with lots of chances to touch things.
This is about the annual fishing trip they used to have for our scout troop.
It was my first year taking part, and I was nervous for a lot of reasons.
Nervous About Going Fishing
First, I hadn’t ben fishing in a boat before. Second, I was not a good swimmer yet. And yes we all had life vests. Also, I was the new guy.
I don’t remember the two gentleman who fished with us, but that day I met scott pate who would become one of my best friends for the next five years.
Things Started So Well
So we are in the boat trolling for fish. I’ve eaten a bag of chips and had a cold pepsi cola.
Trolling means you drag the line behind you as the boat goes in big circles.
The day was going well. We had caught a few fish. We thought we might even win a trophy for catching the most fish.
It Happened
Then the boat started taking on water.
Neither of the owners knew what was happening at first. They moved towards the shore wanting to be in as shallow a water as possible.
They did a great job of keeping us calm.
Eventually the water was up to near the top of the inside of the boat.
We were helped out of it and wading ashore. Got my shoes covered with mud getting up on the bank.
We were safe but our day was done or so we thought.
First, we found out that the boat took on water because the boat used a twin hull design and the plugs between the two pieces that kept the water out came loose and let it in.
The weight pulled the boat lower and lower. At least I think that is what happened. 🙂
We Weren’t Through
Like I said I thought we were through. And considering that our guide had to have his boat towed in and lost hundreds of dollars worth of gear, I was surprised he wasn’t more angry or depressed.
Instead he took me and scott to the dock and taught us how to cast. He showed us how to do it so the line didn’t get fowled during the back swing.
He actually had us believing that if we casted the bait far enough we might still catch a fish.
We never got the first bite, but we got lots of practice casting.
And we learned about being good sports.
We also learned that just because it didn’t turn out the way you expected it to, didn’t mean you couldn’t still have fun if you tried.
Celebrating The Day Together
At the end of the day we had to be there when all the other boys brought in their catches.
It could have been sad, but they gave us a trophy for being good sports.
And there was some friendly laughter about us letting the big one, that being the boat, get away.
This was all followed by a big fish fry where we ate until we couldn’t eat any more. and its hard to be upset when you have a full belly and are surrounded by good friends.
Fond Scouting Memories
I had many more great days in the scout eventually becoming the first blind person in southeast Texas and the first for the eagle patrol to reach the rank of Eagle Scout.
The troop is gone. Now days visually impaired scouts are part of troops all over the country.
But for four years Scout Master James Duncan and Assistant Scout Master David Crandel and the other scouts were like a second family to me.
I guess another lesson is when special people come into your life be sure to let them know you appreciate their being there.
I have enjoyed reliving some great old memories while writing this post.
Share Your Memories Please
I’m hoping you will decide to share some of your favorite memories with me and my readers.
Reliving positive past experiences can be a great way to help you through those tough times you may be having now.
The trick is to be sure to play the good memories during times of stress.
Too many people replay old hurts, setbacks, and failures instead.
One of the things that helps me stay positive is always choosing happy memories to play on that huge movie screen in our minds.
I look forward to hearing some of your stories. Maybe you will write a blog post about them and then put a link to your posts in the comments section.
Until next time thanks and take care out there, Max
Max, this story reminds me of when I was a legally blind kid. My father, my brother (also legally blind) and I used to get up at the crack of dawn, pile into our ’51 Plymouth sedan and take our aluminum motor boat to Saylor’s Lake in eastern Pennsylvania. I had the whole back seat to myself, and I used it to sleep till we arrived. Being out there on the water in the early morning was so peaceful. I almost caught my first fish at five, but I got all flustered and reeled the thing out instead of in.
Donna W. Hill recently posted…Head-Slappers from the Endless Mountains & the Homer Simpson Doll Caught in the Act
Hi Donna; Thanks for sharing that mini story. Got a laugh out of you reeling the fish out instead of in. Kind of like how one time in New York City I got overwhelmed by the noise and stepped off of a subway instead of stepping the rest of the way into ti. Thanks for sharing my new friend, Max
Max, I love this story and I love the title too. It’s very captivating!
You have had some remarkable people in your life teaching you great lessons. 🙂 You are very lucky to have had such great role models.
When I was completing my high school education, I attended the Adult Education Center. My main teacher was a matronly woman who became both my mentor and my second mother. I learned so much from that woman. She was also the person responsible for identifying that I needed counseling for being raped when I was a young teen. With her encouragement and guidance, I not only became psychologically healthier from seeking therapy, but I became more confident in myself and ended up graduating with honors, medals, and scholarships.
During the four years I was under her tutelage, I learned so much from her. She was a true friend, too. She even helped me get into see a dentist so I could get my teeth fixed. As it turned out, I ended up getting dentures made because my teeth were so rotten. I was 22 at the time and it was the best decision I have made in my life. Too bad dentures don’t last. LOL. I’m now on my fourth pair of upper ones and my third pair of lower ones.
Geez, as I type this, so many memories from that period of my life are flooding back to me. Thank you for pointing out how we should replay the good times in our minds instead of the bad ones we tend to dwell on. That is a fantastic lesson for all of us to learn.
I am so blessed to have crossed paths with you so many years ago. You have become a good friend. And you are a remarkable person, too… even more so than your early Scout leaders! I am sure they would be proud of the man you have become. Are you still in touch with any of them?
I’d love to know!
Lorraine Reguly recently posted…9 Reasons Why Making Friends with Clients is Important
Wow; Had no idea my post would spark so many great memories for you. I hoped it would, but didn’t expect. The idea of choosing the movies we play on the screens in our heads is another idea I covered in that first book you helped me through. I’m only in contact with one person from those days. His name is Thomas Morrison, and he is part of my face book community. But haven’t been able to find any of the others. I need to reach out to the local area council and see if they know any more than I’ve been able to find out via social media. Hoping I can take him as my plus one to one of the future NESA area meet ups for eagles. Thanks for sharing, for being such a great friend, and for being a woman who could listen to and grow under the guidance of much older woman at the time. You are a wonderful professional and I’ve been happy to watch your growth since I met you. We are both so much more than we started out to be. Can’t wait to see what comes next for both of us. Stay blessed, Max
Max, this story rings a bell in my memory of once I had the total back seat to myself, and that I used it to sleep until we have a tendency to arrived. Being out there on the water within the early morning was thus peaceful. I nearly caught my 1st fish at 5, however, I got all perturbed
Thanks for sharing so nice and funny story.
All the best for the next fishing adventure!!
James recently posted…8 Best Kayak for Fishing Review & Buyer´s Guide for 2019
Hi James; I’m glad you enjoyed my story. And appreciate your good wishes for my next trip whether it be fishing or some other enjoyable passion. 🙂 Max
Max, I love this story and I love the title too. It’s very captivating! Thank you very much for sharing this to us.
Hi Tom; Glad you enjoyed the story and agree with the title. I do my best to always find the positive in life. This was one of my first lessons in how to find the positive in negative experiences. Thanks, Max
This is some great perspective on what fishing is all about. I love how you were all able to have a great time regardless of the circumstances. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Aaron; I appreciate that you got the point of the story and the point of fishing. Fishing is intended to be social, spiritual, and enjoyable. Thanks, Max