I was firmly stuck in the trap of being busy until I started noticing the morning sunrises and clear skies lately. The outdoors was calling to me. I had been cooped up for too long, so I made a plan to fish after work. I planned to get off one hour early and hit the lake before the sun set for the day. All was good except I was stuck in the busy trap. I left work late and I was in a hurry to get to the water. I felt like I was wasting the remaining minutes of light, then something wonderful happened. A kid named Austin showed up to the lake.
I met Austin this fall. One day he just showed up at the lake fishing for bass. He didn't know how to fly fish and asked me about it, so I took the time and showed him how. I stopped fishing and gave him my fly rod and a crash course in casting. Austin eventually caught a bluegill and I knew he was hooked. I could have been doing my own thing and being "busy," but I took the time to invest in a kid.
Austin showed up this time, in the winter, still die hard about fishing and with his own fly fishing setup. I couldn't have been more proud for Austin. He taught himself the basics and had been catching fish on his own through the fall and into the winter. He was thrilled to show me his new fly rod and flies. So, we fished together like old friends throwing out line and shooting the breeze. I showed him how to rig up his leader and I gave him a handful of my best flies.
Austin broke me out of my "too busy for the world" routine. It was such a good feeling to have that kind of impact on a person. I would have missed such a great moment if I was too busy for a curious kid. Oh, and we didn't catch a single fish.
