Fishing with the Doctor

No economics today, but a bit of story time perhaps?

The family had the privilege of staying in a condo at Islamorada, one of the Florida Keys. To the delight of the Doctor, the island is known for fantastic sport fishing. Almost every day, he would wake up a few hours earlier than the rest of the family-most awoke around 11:00 am-and spend the morning fishing and reading his Bible.

One late night by the pool-most of us went to bed around 1:00 am-I joined the good Doctor in a brief evening fishing session. I quickly learned which way not to reel in a fish and how one can very quickly render a fishing line utterly useless. Thank God for the spare! I also decided never to use the now gut-covered nail clipper that Dad brought on the trip. Enough said about that.

Before I retired from my short-lived fishing career, Dad caught an eight inch sea bass. 

"Ah, this one's small," he said after unhooking its mouth. "Grow up!" 

As the fish plopped back in the water, I mused that fishing is fairly similar to dating. 

1. People are attracted to one another by some means or other, may it be through physical beauty, interesting personality, or even convenience or proximity. There are so many supply and demand connections here that I could spend hours on...
2. They take the bait, or conversely, reel it in, perhaps both parties not knowing what they are really in for.
3. Through some form of trial and error, however brief or extended, one or both of the involved parties decide whether or not to pursue the relationship. Keep it, or throw 'em back over your shoulder for something else?

So far, I haven't had a whole lot of dating experience in my time. Let's face it, you only meet so many people by the time you are 21! But what I have learned is that I haven't stopped "growing up." As soon as I overcome one hurdle, another edges onto the horizon. I'm a huge believer in the cliche that "life is a journey." Dating is no different. Every experience is part of the learning process. Embrace the learning!

What's on the current docket o' development? Most recently, I'm coming to terms with my youth by learning a little humility. I acknowledge that I have much yet to understand, both about myself and relationships. It may be inconvenient at times, but it's not a moral dilemma to be "a work in progress." It can, however, be a huge blessing for someone you trust to encourage you to "grow up!" Regardless, it's most beneficial to listen to them and JUST DO IT! (Yes, thank you, Nike).

As far as I heard, there were no plaque-worthy catches, but my dear ol' dad gave me a lot to think about. Perhaps I will put "Grow up" on a plaque!

A Christmas rat, perhaps?

It's Christmas Eve and the family has already broken through the Xmas goodies. The Doctor called it Xmas because we are having "fake Christmas," or December 24th Christmas. The next order of business: to exit the premises by 3:30 pm for Florida. A few quotes:


"How will we wake up the Diva and the DJ? Let's get Pepper (one of the three guinea pigs). She's the scurriest!" What a precious awakening.


"No, Tweenie, you cannot bring all your Christmas presents to Florida. They will rip off the wrapping paper and we [are too cheap] to pay for more baggage."


"Ah, yes, a Christmas hound." The beagles enjoyed a good frolic through the wrapping paper before they headed off to the kennel. That was not their best Christmas surprise, to be sure. Poor babies.


In my rushing around the local strip mall for essentials such as medication, Timothy hay (we also own three guinea pigs), and gluten-free goodies, I stopped by the small animal cages at PetCo. Unlike those of us who have a plane to catch rather than a Christmas eve service to stumble into half an hour late, much of the western world is taking advantage of one last shopping day. With regard to pets, 'tis the season to find a furry little friend under the Christmas tree or the Hanukkah bush. In other words, domesticated animals are in very high demand. This is taking into account that birthdays and animal feedings occur at an equal rate undifferentiated from other times of the year. Of all the animals to be found under the tree, the common white rat, Rattus norvegicus, is not one of them. Regardless of the high demand for pets, the supply of rats exceeds the demand for the beasts. This is what we call a surplus. There's your principles of microeconomics lesson of the day, a "simple gift" from me to you.


On a brief personal note, I gave myself a fantastic Christmas present. It is probably the best so far in my brief adult life. I gave myself the gift of fitness. Since being home, I went to the JCC-happy Hanukkah!-and worked up to running/jogging/continuously moving more than six miles! This is a most appropriate gift before a beach trip. I built up my willpower, pushed my boundaries, and held off gratification. Excellent.


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!