A boy and a fish...

"No politics today - just life. There will be time for politics tomorrow when we are home. Today - this is about life. And the good life in northern Minnesota."

Most of us have had this experience with our kids and/or our grandies. Buying that first Zebco type fishing rod for our youngins. Rigging the new kid's rod, with something simple for a first fishing experience. Basic hook, small sinker, and a small bobber. Then taking that child out on a boat, or to be with him or her, while standing on a dock. Putting on the first worm. Teaching how to hook the worm twice (or thrice), to keep the "robber baron" fish away, from stealing the bait. Then, after what might be a short time, or a longer time, that tug on the line. "I got one! I think I got one!" The excitement of pulling up a 3 inch perch on the end of the line. In the child's mind, it might as well have been a 26" Walleye. 

Today, my son-in-law and I, took our grandson out for his first fishing trip. He was pumped. It was chilly and windy, so he put on his dino jacket, as well as a life jacket. We had a rented a pontoon, bought two dozen night crawlers at the local bait store, and then ventured out in to the azure blue skies, with somewhat windy conditions.

I did not hold out much hope. It was too windy to hold the pontoon in good position. As I was trying to keep us leeward and close to a nice row of bulrushes, I feared this day might be a bust. Which would be too bad. Yesterday we had such a stellar day up at Lake Itasca State Park. The grandies had the chance to cross the "mighty Mississippi" (which some call the "Minnesota baptism"), and the weather was 4.0. The only left on the "tick items" was having the boy catch a fish. And that he did!

As I was almost being blown in the bulrushes, I heard this loud (and somewhat squeaky) voice - "I got one!" It was a time of joy and jubilation - for a few minutes. Once the fish was released, and the boy set about to catch another one, the unbelievable happened. His rod broke. The cheap, crappy rod his dad bought him, which was identical to the cheap, crappy rod I bought for him - broke. And for a short period of time, that broke his heart. This was the rod which caught his first fish. And he was more than sad - until we got back to the cabin, and we could give him some chow. Instant recovery.

No politics today - just life. There will be time for politics tomorrow when we are home. Today - this is about life. And the good life in northern Minnesota. This is now the home of the free and the brave. No more, no less. What is happening in Minneapolis these people want no part of. They just want the simple pleasures in life. Like - seeing a child catch his or her new fish.