a funny fishing story...

...that will prove to you I am a tough, resilient individual. But not by any stretch of the imagination one who enjoys fishing. I guess if I had been taken as a kid, and learned to do all the icky things it requires before I got old enough to think them 'icky', I would feel differently. But I don't recall ever going fishing with my dad as a child, so was never exposed to the cold hard facts of being a fisherman: skewering living things with hooks.

The youngest daughter, P. was maybe ten years old. She was invited to go to a schoolmates' house with a group of classmates. They were going to fish in the private pond on the family property, and maybe have lunch? or swim? This house was located a pretty good distance from school, so I knew I would not be making two trips, and planned on staying for the duration. Which meant I would also be assisting with the fishing expedition.

I have never claimed to have a strong constitution, or been a person who would jump in responding to some blood-letting event. I would definitely be willing to help in an emergency situation, but would gladly step aside for a more trained,  knowledgeable, experienced individual to take charge: applying tourniquets, bandaging, comforting the injured. I have taken CPR/emergency training on a number of occasions, and would not stand by and watch someone in distress, but provide the help with my limited skills, until the experts arrive on the scene.

On this occasion we drowned a number of worms. I don't recall that we caught anything, but if she did, I assume someone else freed it from the hook. I do remember putting a number of sticky, oozing, icky worms on that hook at the end of the cane pole. I would not reveal I was such a wuss I had never done this before, and really did not want to be doing it that day. So I gathered up my gumption and applied bait to hook a number of times: as the fishes would nibble the bait, and the worm would be dismembered, reapplying more as necessary. 

You can imagine how ready I was to wash my hands several times when we got back to the house...