The man I adore, my husband and friend of 31 years, has once again opened my eyes to his way of thinking. We've not only made the connection, but we've made the fishing connection. I've always had a pretty good insight into the way this man thinks, but there's been a few times in our marriage when I couldn't comprehend him. For instance, I could never understand why he needed a dozen fishing rods, hundreds of lures and everything else that is required and needed to fish today. I recall his childhood stories of him and his dad fishing together, and back then, all you needed was a fishing pole, hook, sinker, and an old soup can filled with a few worms. Once again, my husband has changed my way of thinking and this is how I came to understand his way. He told me to look at all of the shoes in my closet and asked me why do I have so many? I explained that each pair of shoes served a different purpose. Now every woman could appreciate and understand that. So, he continues to tell me it's the same way with fishing; each rod and lure serves a difference purpose. A certain color and style of lure is needed for different species of fish, just like a certain color and style of shoes is worn with different outfits. So, again he opened my eyes to his way of thinking.

It all makes sense to me now that I'm fishing, and I can appreciate all the different lures, rigs and rods on the market today. It's amazing how things have changed over the years. Fishing has become a big dollar industry. Presentation and technique are critical and technology is the driving force behind the fishing industry. When we shop at the fishing shows and fishing stores, instead of buying one rod or lure, it's now necessary that we buy two of each item. Yes, this is a requirement - he needs his own rod and lures and I need my own. One of my husband's greatest fears in life was that when he dies, I would find out how much money he had tied up in fishing equipment. Now, our greatest fear is the day our children discover how much money we've spent on fishing equipment.

Another requirement was the new Crestliner boat, which definitely is a necessity; however, I'm still trying to make sense of the new boat. We used to fish from shore and would cast out into the lake and now we sit in the boat and cast towards shore. The reason I believe our Crestliner is a requirement is because we have spent several hours in our boat fishing and relaxing and these simple pleasures are amongst the highest. I could never trade these moments, drifting in a boat with our family and friends, the laughter echoing across the lake, capturing the beauty that surrounds us, the excitement of catching a fish, while watching the sun setting in the distance. Yes, I do have to admit, we've made the fishing connection.

So after 31 years of marriage, Kenny and I are finally on the same page and speak the same language. Our priorities in life have changed and life's simplest pleasures matter the most to us. As I reflect on 2006, fishing with Kenny and my friends, each experience has not only been a stepping stone to my success, but it's been a wonderful experience that I'll always treasure. I'm looking forward to fishing in 2007 and I'm ready to face the fishing challenges and opportunities that I will be confronted with. And since I didn't catch my trophy fish this year, that means Kenny and I will have to spend more time out on the lake next year. I'm sure I won't have to convince him and he'll understand where I'm coming from, because we've made the connection, the fishing connection!

 
I love what I'm learning and I'm learning what I love to do. I LOVE TO FISH!