The Perfect Bond
02/27/2020
Like Father Like Son
Father and son bonds are the strongest connection possible. Although the road my relationship with my dad has taken is filed with mountains and valleys, at the end of the day all I remember is the view at the top. My dad and I share many fights and disagreements, but moments like camping in the backwoods of New Hampshire and waking up at 4 A.M. to fish outweigh them infinitely.
I remember many experiences with my dad, but a few reside far above those endless mountains in our road of life. Although the climb is long and taxing the view at the top makes it worth the trip. Of these experiences, one sticks with me the most. It comes near the end of a vacation of legend in the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. We had only a few days left when we caught wind of a fishing trip. Both my dad and I are I love with fishing. A bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office. Just being out at sea, even in the cold, rough waters of New England puts our tight nerves to rest. When we found out about this trip, we knew not going was not an option. Despite complaints from my sisters and mother (who backed out at the last minute) we went. We walked out onto the pier and saw a group of six others boarding a massive fishing boat with enough roads to satisfy the most skillful fisher. Way down in the Caribbean resides a massive fish, the Marlin. Sadly Marlin season was over, but maybe these two tourists could get lucky. Probably not.
The boat made the long haul out to sea despite the roaring wind and the freezing rain, and soon we were two and a half miles out in the Caribbean Sea. Suddenly the wind died down and the sun broke free from the shackles of the clouds. The view was one to top any movie scene, the massive jungle mountains with a thick blanket of fog rolling over the sun lit peak. The blue, blue like the one you see in your best dreams, water was bright with the light of that ever hot southern sun. But now it’s time for fishing. As the youngest on board I was given first catch privileges, I was allowed to real in the first fish. A few minutes after wetting the lines, we heard a steady click coming from a rod. Fish on. I battled with it for a few minutes, sadly it was no Marlin, but a three foot barracuda. Finally it was gaffed and in the cooler. Many don’t know that barracuda is an edible fish, it’s not, to us at least. But the locals have grown an immunity to the small amount of poison in them. To us, food poisoning is the minimum. So the captain took my catch. My dads turn came up, and no fish. A few Bonita and a few barracuda later and it was time to head back. Sadly no Marlin on the day, but it was a day to last forever in my memory.
Although fight my my dad are a common, we forget our turbulence quickly, and out bond only grows stronger. Many can relate to me on this, but dads can be a pain at times, but experiences like fishing in the Caribbean and hiking the white mountains make up for this.
At the end of the day, who really cares that I wasn’t allowed ice cream for dessert or he took my phone.
I liked how you used the cliche in your story: “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office.” You did a great job explaining the bond between you and your Dad, and how it really strengthens during fishing.
Posted by: William O'Malley | 03/01/2020 at 07:45 PM
I really like how you compared your relationship with your dad to mountains and valleys. It really put it in a new perspective that I had never really thought of before. Great piece overall.
Posted by: Max Merhige | 03/03/2020 at 06:05 AM