Fishing is a major influence in my life. Ever since I could walk I've been going fishing with my grandfather. My cousins and I would squeeze into his rusty old Chevy pickup and travel over an hour to Sauvie Island. From there, we snaked along the country roads and gravel paths until we reached our secret fishing hole. We'd fish from sunrise till noon, catching catfish, yellow perch, carp, and even the occasional sturgeon (which we had to release).
As I grew up, I came to love fishing not for the tasty dinner at the end of the day, but for the fight that each fish gave and the opportunity to see nature in one of its purest forms. Fishing is a method of meditation; once someone has gained the required patience, they are liberated from thoughts
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Nature and its inhabitants intrigue me and I am appreciative of it. Normally a person freaks out and tries to kill a spider when it is in their home. Instead, I gently pick it up with a paper towel and release it outside.
When my grandfather told me to clean a catfish, I wouldn't have been as flustered if it had died on the trip back, but it didn't. Croaks came from its mouth and its gills gasped for oxygen. I had two choices with the knife in my hand: put it down and leave the labor to my worn-out grandparents, or end the fish's misery by chopping off its head then cleaning the guts out. I chose the latter. I'll never forget the cold, numb feeling I had in my hand after that catfish.
It may seem like a minor decision, but I had an epiphany. Had I not cleaned the fish, I would've never learned and gotten used to the process. I couldn't rely on my grandparents doing something as simple as that for the rest of my life. I needed to help them out if I were to take another step towards adulthood. As much as I valued my morals, there were going to be exceptions. Not everything will go my way, so when a difficult decision approached I had to forget my beliefs and pick what was the most beneficial for those around me. The pride I had in my sturdy morals evolved into a pride for its flexibility; I could make the right decision at the right