Fishing was not a thing that I and my dad I would do on a regular basis. Other than fishing, we’d much prefer spending time on other fun activities like watching football or do something productive like tinker in his garage.
Having said that, I’m reminded of songs that use fishing as an illustration to narrate a father’s relationship with his children. I personally could immediately think of three songs that use fishing to tell the whole story. These songs are “Just Fishin’” by Trace Adkins, “Catch a Fish” by Logan Mize, and “Fishing Alone” by Erik Dylan. These songs illustrated a timeline of a father and son relationship.
“Just Fishin'”
This song by Trace Adkins was spoken from a father’s perspective. His five-year-old child starts to get curious about everything and is starting to adapt and learn basic stuff like holding a fish rod. While his sweet innocent daughter thinks that it’s just another day out with her father, the whole experience meant more to him. Rambling about everything, she just gets distracted by the activity on hand.
We all have that experience, don’t we? Though probably none of our memories speak much about fishing, those were the kind of memories that make up our childhood. Those moments helped shaped the persons we’ve become today.
As young children, we’ve always looked forward to spending fun times with our parents. But as we grow older, these activities with them which once excited us seemed to become less cool.
“Catch a Fish “
Unlike Adkin’s song, Logan Mize’s “Catch a Fish” was spoken from an adult child’s perspective. Having given himself to his youthful idealism, he’s yielded in his own understanding of right and wrong.
We’ve also been through that stage, didn’t we? Immediately, you assumed full control of your life and no one, even your dad, can stop you. Eventually, you left and never looked back. But there will always be that time of reflection when you look back on your life and would start understanding the motives behind your parents’ acts. You would then acknowledge that all they wanted for you was the best.
Saying sorry is a tough act, but seeing how time speedily passes, you then decide to finally break the ice. Like what happened in Mize’s “Catch a Fish,” go ask your dad to go fishing and catch up with him.
For You
“Fishing Alone”
Catching time with your dad is essential unless you’re in a state like that in Erik Dylan’s “Fishing Alone.”
We all get carried away with the demands of our individual lives. We forget to call, visit, and sometimes, fail to do the things we’ve planned to do with our parents. We enjoy the labor of our hands and become preoccupied with chasing our dreams. We may not have thought that as our lives progress, so thus our parents’ time. Then when we finally come to that realization, all is too late.
We ran out of time and they’re gone. Regrets of “what could have been” fill our minds, but we could never bring them back. You could still go fishing but your dad wouldn’t be with you anymore. Your memories of yesterday become your regrets of today.
Sure, you could do something right next time. Soon, you will have your own child. Start the cycle again. Take him on a fishing trip with you and enjoy every minute. You never could predict what may happen in the future, but you could always decide to do what’s right now.
If your dad is still around, give him a call or a hug. Go fishing with him or watch a football game together. Help him in his yard or in his auto shop. Do something that the two of you enjoyed doing before, and remember, life, no matter the length, would still be short. We never know what tomorrow would bring. Don’t wait for the time when you have to go fishing alone, but with emptiness in your heart. Your dad’s gone and you wished you’ve done more when he was alive.
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