Chapter Six
Today is my 50th Birthday, so this chapter is going to take a break from heavy topics before tackling some of the most controversial ones next. Our dog woke me up early to go potty. He has been with us for almost 15 years and enriched our lives tremendously. It is tough seeing time take its toll on his mobility, but his life still has plenty of joy that also brings us joy. The unconditional love and loyalty dogs freely give are priceless.
With plenty of time before sunrise, I went to watch it on the beach. Slight breezes coming off the ocean created a salty haze accentuating dawn’s reddish glow. Shorebirds waded in the surf looking for breakfast. Gentle waves rolling in glistening sand offered rhythmic tones that relax the mind, body, and soul. A perfect scene was set for reflecting on how blessed I am. Life has been good to me despite some trying times that we all face. I have a beautiful wife who lets me be me, with a mutual love that grows stronger over time. Loving parents gave me life and wonderful kids showed me what being rich is really all about. I have been blessed with good health worth more than great wealth. I love my work and look forward to heading offshore tomorrow for an overnight birthday trip. Good fortune usually brings something special to celebrate another year of getting to be a fisherman. I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Being born in America has allowed me to truly enjoy the blessings of our God-given natural freedoms. Being thankful for the blessings we recognize is the best way to keep them and get more. I am blessed and thankful.
Living for half a century should bring a certain degree of wisdom that only comes from experience. This seems like a good time to share some pearls of wisdom life has taught me.
The first is an understanding that I am not wise and far from perfect. Having a little bit of wisdom about some things does not make one entirely wise or always right.
The ancient adage about how time seems to pass faster as we age is proving to be true in my life.
Procrastination is often necessary as we prioritize the best use of our limited time and energy each day.
We only get one opportunity to experience any situation since those exact circumstances will not line up that way again.
Each new day is a gift that should not be taken for granted as we are not guaranteed tomorrow will give us another chance.
Forgiving yourself and others frees our minds from unhealthy thoughts of regret or retribution that poison the soul.
Our natural instincts draw from life experience, innate intuition, and universal signals to guide us in the right direction.
I believe the purpose of life is to enjoy as much of it as possible while doing our best to leave the world a better place.
Timing matters.
Think before speaking.
Forgiveness helps everyone.
Hope makes everything better.
Smiles and kindness are contagious.
A natural yearning to be free unites us.
Talents improve and expand when shared.
Positive outlooks produce positive outcomes.
Wonders are anywhere we choose to see them.
Listening to our elders imparts wisdom painlessly.
Respect promotes unity regardless of our differences.
Contentment and ambition aren’t mutually exclusive.
Indulgences are best appreciated in moderation.
Know when to stop.
The birthday fishing trip did not disappoint. We left at 2:30 am when the last of a falling tide would push us out to sea. Several miles beyond land’s light was when that moonless night really let her stars shine bright. The sun rose over calm waters as we marked our first place to fish. Ravenous vermillions reaffirmed the Reel Job Trueism Trinity.
1. Hungry fish bite better.
2. Big fish add up quicker.
3. Doubles add up twice as fast.
By sunset, we had used up most of our bait while catching fish at almost every stop. The warm spring weather was nice all day with a light westerly breeze and slight following seas. Passing pods of dolphin played in the distance while we worked. The first Jesus Bird to visit this year skipped across little waves, floating on elegant wings of precision and power. Several hours spent steaming home offered time to think about how blessed I am to be one of the last independent offshore commercial fishermen who will probably ever have a chance to experience this kind of freedom. There is nothing quite like the feeling of running a small boat in a big ocean with almost nobody else around, being one with nature in all its maritime majesty while catching enough cool fish to keep on living the dream. Passing this privilege on to future generations is a big part of my advocacy work. Maybe this book will help keep the dream alive.
The only bad part of our trip was having to discard all the American Red Snapper we caught. These delicious fish have made a miraculous comeback to the point where there are more than ever before according to the latest stock assessment. You would think this is good news that should result in fishermen being rewarded with longer seasons for doing our part to help in the recovery. Fishery managers have decided to punish us instead with shorter seasons because they assume more discarded snapper are dying during closures since they are so plentiful. What kind of convoluted logic is that? Longer seasons with lower trip limits would keep millions of pounds of seafood from being wasted while collecting fact-based-data so we don’t have to rely on worst-case-scenario assumptions.
Researching some of the non-profit corporations pushing questionable fishery management policies led me to an original mission statement for one of them that warned about the “evils of bureaucracy”. This phrase instantly clicked with what is happening in our fisheries. People working within a bureaucracy will collectively do the kind of things they would never dream of doing individually because that is what they are paid to do and feel absolved of any personal responsibility. These are mostly good people who just want to keep their jobs and feel obligated to follow the lead of those with power over them. Aren’t We the People supposed to have Constitutional powers to persuade our Public Servants? We do have that power when enough of us say something similar. We surrender our power when we can’t agree on anything or simply remain silent. The court of public opinion wields much more influence than most realize.
Submitting public comments for well over a decade has given me a chance to lay down markers over time showing a clear pattern of promoting freedom through positive solutions. This book is kind of a culmination of those comments and the ideas they expressed. My hope is that it encourages enough of you to take the next steps beyond thinking about what you have read to talking with others and joining me in working to secure our blessings of liberty. The world we have known is quickly changing before our eyes. The course we are on is heading for a comfortable collective servitude to corporate-controlled politicians. We will work for and obey them if we want to remain comfortable. Future generations will wonder what freedom feels like and why we let it slip away. Time is growing short for us to change course toward a brighter future where corporations and governments work for us and follow our lead.
We still have the luxury of sitting behind a computer while peacefully defending freedom. We even have the potential to get paid for paying attention if enough of us want to make it happen. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to reverse the damage being done. Political divisions will continue to divide and conquer us if we don’t break free from this vicious cycle of anger and blame that is tearing us apart. It is time to agree to disagree on some things while working together where we can find common ground. There are other ways to solve our problems than what the two predominant political parties are peddling. Are you willing to think for yourself while working with other independent thinkers or would you rather trust corporate politicians to think for us and look out for our best interests?
So much for taking a break from the heavier topics. Let’s finish this chapter on a positive note before moving on to topics that are likely to touch a few nerves in almost everyone.
Some people think we are living in the end times. It seems to me that we have much more to accomplish if we don’t destroy ourselves first. Think about how much more brain power we can tap if given enough time. There is still a long way to go in human evolution. We haven’t even explored all of Earth’s landmasses or most of our oceans, much less the universe. Aliens aren’t invading, so maybe we are the first intelligent beings that can colonize lifeless planets in our solar system and beyond. The possibilities are limitless for our future once we get over some petty differences and start working together toward lofty goals that make life better for everyone. We can reach for distant stars with a very real chance of touching them. The potential is there for all of us across the globe to peacefully coexist with each other while living in harmony with nature. Average people in most places just want to live in peace without being told what to do. There is hope that enough of us will learn to get along well enough that we can keep on keeping on for eons to come.
With plenty of time before sunrise, I went to watch it on the beach. Slight breezes coming off the ocean created a salty haze accentuating dawn’s reddish glow. Shorebirds waded in the surf looking for breakfast. Gentle waves rolling in glistening sand offered rhythmic tones that relax the mind, body, and soul. A perfect scene was set for reflecting on how blessed I am. Life has been good to me despite some trying times that we all face. I have a beautiful wife who lets me be me, with a mutual love that grows stronger over time. Loving parents gave me life and wonderful kids showed me what being rich is really all about. I have been blessed with good health worth more than great wealth. I love my work and look forward to heading offshore tomorrow for an overnight birthday trip. Good fortune usually brings something special to celebrate another year of getting to be a fisherman. I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Being born in America has allowed me to truly enjoy the blessings of our God-given natural freedoms. Being thankful for the blessings we recognize is the best way to keep them and get more. I am blessed and thankful.
Living for half a century should bring a certain degree of wisdom that only comes from experience. This seems like a good time to share some pearls of wisdom life has taught me.
The first is an understanding that I am not wise and far from perfect. Having a little bit of wisdom about some things does not make one entirely wise or always right.
The ancient adage about how time seems to pass faster as we age is proving to be true in my life.
Procrastination is often necessary as we prioritize the best use of our limited time and energy each day.
We only get one opportunity to experience any situation since those exact circumstances will not line up that way again.
Each new day is a gift that should not be taken for granted as we are not guaranteed tomorrow will give us another chance.
Forgiving yourself and others frees our minds from unhealthy thoughts of regret or retribution that poison the soul.
Our natural instincts draw from life experience, innate intuition, and universal signals to guide us in the right direction.
I believe the purpose of life is to enjoy as much of it as possible while doing our best to leave the world a better place.
Timing matters.
Think before speaking.
Forgiveness helps everyone.
Hope makes everything better.
Smiles and kindness are contagious.
A natural yearning to be free unites us.
Talents improve and expand when shared.
Positive outlooks produce positive outcomes.
Wonders are anywhere we choose to see them.
Listening to our elders imparts wisdom painlessly.
Respect promotes unity regardless of our differences.
Contentment and ambition aren’t mutually exclusive.
Indulgences are best appreciated in moderation.
Know when to stop.
The birthday fishing trip did not disappoint. We left at 2:30 am when the last of a falling tide would push us out to sea. Several miles beyond land’s light was when that moonless night really let her stars shine bright. The sun rose over calm waters as we marked our first place to fish. Ravenous vermillions reaffirmed the Reel Job Trueism Trinity.
1. Hungry fish bite better.
2. Big fish add up quicker.
3. Doubles add up twice as fast.
By sunset, we had used up most of our bait while catching fish at almost every stop. The warm spring weather was nice all day with a light westerly breeze and slight following seas. Passing pods of dolphin played in the distance while we worked. The first Jesus Bird to visit this year skipped across little waves, floating on elegant wings of precision and power. Several hours spent steaming home offered time to think about how blessed I am to be one of the last independent offshore commercial fishermen who will probably ever have a chance to experience this kind of freedom. There is nothing quite like the feeling of running a small boat in a big ocean with almost nobody else around, being one with nature in all its maritime majesty while catching enough cool fish to keep on living the dream. Passing this privilege on to future generations is a big part of my advocacy work. Maybe this book will help keep the dream alive.
The only bad part of our trip was having to discard all the American Red Snapper we caught. These delicious fish have made a miraculous comeback to the point where there are more than ever before according to the latest stock assessment. You would think this is good news that should result in fishermen being rewarded with longer seasons for doing our part to help in the recovery. Fishery managers have decided to punish us instead with shorter seasons because they assume more discarded snapper are dying during closures since they are so plentiful. What kind of convoluted logic is that? Longer seasons with lower trip limits would keep millions of pounds of seafood from being wasted while collecting fact-based-data so we don’t have to rely on worst-case-scenario assumptions.
Researching some of the non-profit corporations pushing questionable fishery management policies led me to an original mission statement for one of them that warned about the “evils of bureaucracy”. This phrase instantly clicked with what is happening in our fisheries. People working within a bureaucracy will collectively do the kind of things they would never dream of doing individually because that is what they are paid to do and feel absolved of any personal responsibility. These are mostly good people who just want to keep their jobs and feel obligated to follow the lead of those with power over them. Aren’t We the People supposed to have Constitutional powers to persuade our Public Servants? We do have that power when enough of us say something similar. We surrender our power when we can’t agree on anything or simply remain silent. The court of public opinion wields much more influence than most realize.
Submitting public comments for well over a decade has given me a chance to lay down markers over time showing a clear pattern of promoting freedom through positive solutions. This book is kind of a culmination of those comments and the ideas they expressed. My hope is that it encourages enough of you to take the next steps beyond thinking about what you have read to talking with others and joining me in working to secure our blessings of liberty. The world we have known is quickly changing before our eyes. The course we are on is heading for a comfortable collective servitude to corporate-controlled politicians. We will work for and obey them if we want to remain comfortable. Future generations will wonder what freedom feels like and why we let it slip away. Time is growing short for us to change course toward a brighter future where corporations and governments work for us and follow our lead.
We still have the luxury of sitting behind a computer while peacefully defending freedom. We even have the potential to get paid for paying attention if enough of us want to make it happen. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to reverse the damage being done. Political divisions will continue to divide and conquer us if we don’t break free from this vicious cycle of anger and blame that is tearing us apart. It is time to agree to disagree on some things while working together where we can find common ground. There are other ways to solve our problems than what the two predominant political parties are peddling. Are you willing to think for yourself while working with other independent thinkers or would you rather trust corporate politicians to think for us and look out for our best interests?
So much for taking a break from the heavier topics. Let’s finish this chapter on a positive note before moving on to topics that are likely to touch a few nerves in almost everyone.
Some people think we are living in the end times. It seems to me that we have much more to accomplish if we don’t destroy ourselves first. Think about how much more brain power we can tap if given enough time. There is still a long way to go in human evolution. We haven’t even explored all of Earth’s landmasses or most of our oceans, much less the universe. Aliens aren’t invading, so maybe we are the first intelligent beings that can colonize lifeless planets in our solar system and beyond. The possibilities are limitless for our future once we get over some petty differences and start working together toward lofty goals that make life better for everyone. We can reach for distant stars with a very real chance of touching them. The potential is there for all of us across the globe to peacefully coexist with each other while living in harmony with nature. Average people in most places just want to live in peace without being told what to do. There is hope that enough of us will learn to get along well enough that we can keep on keeping on for eons to come.