By Dwayne Zboril

As we grow older we develop our own personalities and our own sense of the world. Sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong, but we have a set of rules we go by. When I was a kid growing up I always listened to what my parents said, no questions asked. We get away with a lot when we are children, but as we grow older we are held accountable for our actions. We are also held accountable for what we say and how we treat others in our life. I can remember the day when my dad would say he wanted to fish a certain area and that would be it, but as I grew older I would speak up and say no I want to fish another spot. My father respected my wished and let me pick my own spots from that point on, its one of those moments you look back on and say thats when I started to grow up. I was making my own decisions and choosing my own path in life, but one thing would always bind us together and that was our love for fising and the outdoors.

It did not matter if we were side by side or if we were off doing our own thing, we had the memories and the experiences to last us a lifetime. I am lucky that I still can go fishing with my dad, we dont always agree on things but thats what makes us different. The outdoors and the experience of fishing has helped me gain many things in my life, but one of the most prized possesions is the respect of my father and those around me. I have my own opinions and my own set of rules, but the respect and understanding is always there. We sometimes take for granted the lessons we learn through the experiences and adventures we have in the outdoors. I think that my life has been balanced out by the values and lessons that were instilled through my outdoor experiences.

If there ever came a time during that strange time in everyone life when they start to become and adult we would hit the lake. The time I learned about the birds and the bees we were sitting near the water talking about life and what it had in store for each of us. The security and calmness that we felt in the outdoors made it easy to talk as father and son and as two friends on the lake. We were able to communicate and talk about difficult and awkward situations while surrounded by the security blanket of the outdoors. I learned many valuable lessons while sitting on the lake shore and casting out my line. I can attribute much of my success in life to the experiences that I learned while taking in the majestic beauty of the outdoors. I hope that as we grow older and wiser in life we dont forget the security blanket that surrounds us each and every day, nature in all of its glory.

Take to heart the experiences you have and the memories you share with a friend or loved one while in the outdoors. It's not just a trip to the lake its a trip through time and the future at the same time. Our lives are moving faster and faster each and every day, but one thing remains the same nature is there there to lend a helping hand.

Share a moment with a loved one and make a point to sit back and look over the horizon and see more than whats sitting in front of you; see the world for what it really is.

dwaynez