| I grew up in Texas and stayed at my grandmothers' | | | | other thrill seekers, hoping to catch the "big" one. We |
| house all week during the summers. My grandparents | | | | were ushered into the bowel of the boat for the 3 |
| loved to go fishing. They fished, probably, every lake in | | | | hour trip to the fishing spot predesignated by the |
| Texas, before their passing.Vacations for me were | | | | captain. At dawn we were awakened by the captain |
| going with my grandparents on their vacations, which | | | | and told we were at our destination. I was actually |
| was always a fishing trip to Lake Dallas or Texoma | | | | looking forward to fishing for the "big" one, until I walked |
| Lake. George and Billie were die-hard fishermen. They | | | | the stairs to the main deck to view more water than I |
| started before dawn, in the dark and loaded their | | | | ever imagined seeing. There was no land in sight. |
| aluminum boat with all of their gear. I usually fell back | | | | Immediately, my stomach was in my throat and I knew |
| asleep in the boat and did not wake up until we were | | | | I was in trouble. I ran back downstairs to use the potty |
| at their favorite spot on the lake. I always felt they | | | | and was greeted by a sign stating " Go to the side of |
| knew every nook and cranny the the sand bass or big | | | | the boat if you are sick". This made me even sicker. |
| mouth bass were hiding. We would stay in the boat on | | | | There was no way I was going to throw up in front of |
| the lake all day, just coming in for a short break or | | | | 100 strangers. Not today, not ever.Somehow I was |
| sandwich and then back to fishing. As a child, I loved to | | | | able to hold this sickness all day. We did not catch the |
| fish, but probably not as much as they did.When we | | | | big one. A storm came up and the captain turned the |
| went fishing it was the norm to bring home hundreds | | | | boat around and headed for shore. I did not realize that |
| (or it seemed like hundreds) of fish, that my | | | | the captain had been drinking beer all day and was |
| grandfather would carefully scale and clean to be put | | | | driving the boat like a maniac. Once we were on land, |
| into the freezer for a wonderful fish fry at a later date. | | | | we drove home. It took me two days to get over the |
| I wasn't particularly fond of fried fish at that time of my | | | | sea sickness and to this day I have not been back to |
| life. Back in the 50s, fileting fish wasn't done as often | | | | deep sea fish.I do love to fish on a much smaller scale. |
| as it is today. Almost always, I would choke on the tiny | | | | I used to think my grandmother was dragged to the |
| bones in the fish, even when I was extremely | | | | lake to fish. I once told her when I grew up, I would see |
| careful.Probably one of my grandparents greatest | | | | to it that she had a real vacation. she laughed and said, |
| adventures was the time when my Uncle Ted took | | | | "Honey, I love to fish and would not want to vacation |
| them to the Gulf of Mexico to deep sea fish. My | | | | any other way." Until the day my grandmother passed |
| grandparents were like two little children in their | | | | away, she would go to her little cabin at Lake Dallas |
| excitement and prospect of fishing the big ocean. | | | | and stay and fish by herself. |
| They brought home an ice chest full of fish, including a | | | | She truly loved to fish!Michele Graham-CEO and |
| red snapper as I remember. As an adult, my husband | | | | owner of Professional Healthcare Management has 41 |
| and I were also treated to a deep sea fishing trip by | | | | years in the healthcare industry. She writes about |
| Uncle Ted. My husband, who loved to fish as well, was | | | | business issues in all businesses and the healthcare |
| beside himself.We awoke at midnight to drive to the | | | | field as well. She also likes to write about her life |
| party boat my uncle had rented, along with a hundred | | | | experiences. |