Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/author/mark-fiorentino/)
Years ago, when we first moved to Granby, I bought the book Gone Fishin’…The 75 Best Waters in Connecticut. The original plan was to fish as many of the 75 locations as I could. It seemed like a great way to explore our new home state.
We were sitting around my kitchen table, working two laptops and two smart phones. Four of us tasked with finding a place for the annual ice fishing trip: me, Ken, Dave and the New Guy.
Every so often, especially this time of year, I run out of material.
Dear Santa:
Last time I wrote, we were nearing the end of 2020. And, oh my, what a year that was: impeachment proceedings, a global pandemic, Brexit. You must have had your hands full with the annual naughty-nice list. I hope the brownie toffee cookies we left for you provided at least some solace.
The dawn broke, filling the sky with burnt orange hues and our hearts with hope and anticipation. We’d done everything right and it was shaping up to be an epic day.
My best fishing buddies also happen to be my closest friends. We’ve known each other for years and are comfortable sharing our innermost thoughts. About fishing, I mean.
Many of my favorite childhood memories involve fishing. It’s what I did to escape the daily turmoil of growing up in our tumultuous, single-parent household. I never caught a single fish worth bragging about. But fishing was safe.
Today looked like it was going to be a great day. A trouble-free day for hanging out; for taking what comes my way. I guess, given my lot in life, I should have known better.
In February, I wrote about an interview with my daughter Ellie. I asked her questions on six topics: first fishing experience; largest fish; next bucket list fish; most fun; lessons learned; lessons taught. This month, I sat down with my son Gage and asked him the same questions.
Do you ever do this? Do you ever think about something you’ve experienced with your kids and wonder how their memory of the event compares to your own? Or compare a lesson you tried to teach with what they actually learned?