Thursday, April 21, 2005

Becoming a Fishing Widow


Image hosted by Photobucket.comI have to tell you that I love spring. I really do. But Spring brings with it chaos in my house and it goes by the name of fishing.

A little background... Gary has always loved fishing to the extreme. In 1988 he got his first boat...an aluminum Tracker with a 40hp on it. I loved that boat. It was easy to drive and load on the trailer. It was aluminum thus able to take a few dings and bings without too much crying involved. I found that I really enjoyed fishing with him during this time and with that boat. I'm not a speed freak and don't like to go fast so this was just my style. Fast forward a couple years and we get the first fiberglass boat...a 17ft Nitro (just the name means fast) with a 115hp. Gary and I had tons of fun fishing, sunning and swimming. I actually improved my fishing skills quite a lot... the other guys in Gary's bass club would always groan when they saw me enter a tournament with Gary. "Might as well turn over your money now!" I'd say. It felt good to zip down the lake without a care in the world, hair blowing in the wind, laughing and loving to be with Gary. Many, many vacations and weekends were spent doing nothing but being on the boat from sun-up to sun-down, enjoying each other.

Listen carefully if you will...hear that? It's the sound of bells tolling the end of an era. Hannah arrives. Suddenly, it doesn't sound so fun to go flying down the lake with a newborn in the boat. Actually, I have nightmares about what might happen. Those of you with children can attest that a dream showing the demise of one of your children has to be the most horrible thing you could dream. I would wake up sweating, panicking, crying and flailing about from trying in my sleep to rescue my baby from the water. A couple of times we did take her out on the boat but all I did was freak out about every tiny thing. The sun was too hot, she might get in a hook, she might fall overboard, the boat might spring a leak or numerous other catastrophes. It was too stressful to me. Gary didn't understand. He's one of those 'we'll deal with it when/if something happens' kind of people. I'm one of those 'let's plan for the absolute worst thing to happen to us' kind. Needless to say, I stopped going with him. Cold turkey and it always causes a rift with us every Spring.

A couple years later, he upgrades his boat again. This time to a bigger boat with a 225hp on it. It really goes fast. Too fast and I want no part of it. He always promises he won't go fast with us in the boat but for some reason he can't stop himself. Nothing like a good screaming, crying jag to start the day. Now he's up to a 20' boat with a 250hp on it and it's downright scary. Now I have nightmares about him.

I've decided that I am going to get a pop-up camper. I've always wanted one and I'm going to get one. So there. What do you think of that? That's about as fast as I want to go with my child. A nice leisurely weekend camping, enjoying nature, making s'mores, taking walks and pictures and peeing in an outhouse. Making fun memories together, like Gary and I had of me learning to fish with him. I don't want her to have memories of her mother, screeching hysterically at her father to "SLOW DOWN!!!" every weekend.

6 comments:

Melody said...

That all makes sense to me. I have a kayak which is just about as fast as I want to go. My camping does NOT involve an outhouse....does that mean that I'm spoiled rotten?

Gina in N'Awlins said...

Mmmmm hmm - I hear ya! I used to be a motorcycle enthusiast pre-kid . . . but now I contemplate my children becoming orphans at my demise - and I have stopped taking those kinds of risks . . . MAN I miss it though!

Willow said...

OH. My. Gawd.

Keep him FAR AWAY from TFB! We canNOT get these two together. Ever.

I'd like a pop up, too. I used to like to fish before he got jealous that I would catch the only fish, the biggest fish, the most fish, etc. (Or the Grandpappy of all snapping turtles 25 times in a row just like I said I would!)

Random and Odd said...

i wanna go fishing. i'll bait my own hook and promise not get all girly!!

hee hee. My boyfriend doesn't fish, camp or anything like that. I miss it SO much!!

Enjoy the fishing man!!

Sandi said...

Aside from the driving the boat way to fast, he is just following his genitics. If you even mention fishing around mom she goes all starry eyed and wants to know when.

Sleeping Mommy said...

my husband is always saying "let's go fishing" and I'm like "Are you crazy?"

Yeah can you see us? The 3.5 year old could handle it and love it but the 2 year old would be into so much and it would be a nightmare to keep track of her not to mention taking care of the baby!

Yeah, and guess who would be doing all of that? Me. That's who. Yeah, not fun.

I envy you the camper. I'd love that.