"Sea's Gift to the Children"
Viking -
Montauk
August
21, 2001
Early morning
light comes across the waters of the Great South Bay. The salt
breeze blows through the kitchen window. You wake up your 6
year old to take him out for the first time on the water.
As you walk
him onto the boat you are praying that the fish will bite and
he'll get his first catch. He sees his first sand shark come
over the rail. All the kids run around the mate to see and touch.
Not a big deal to the adults, but to our children it's magic.
Heck, a sea robin is banner day to a 6 year old.
Real life
is the greatest teacher. Turn off the electronic babysitter,
the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast games. They'll be brain dead
at the age of 12 and their only conversation will be about getting
to level 42 of Donkey Kong. Give them a life...a real adventure
that will help them grow and have a real understanding of life's
gifts.
I watch
a kid walk up to the pilot house. He looks, up watching the
Captain stear the ship, cutting across the water. The Captain
stops and places him in the driver seat...you just made his
day...and he'll be dreaming about this for nights to come.
When I see
parents bringing their kids out, it makes me smile. I see another
fisherman coming up the ropes and all this sport will give him
or her for years to come. My son doesn't remember the fish,
he remembers the Captains and the mates...and the characters
on the boats. The fish are just the extras. I hear him tell
stories of his experiences. That makes me smile.
Keep Long
Island's tradition of fishing alive, take your children and
pass it down. It's a great gift to give to them for life and
it's something you can share with them throughout their lives.
My son is
12 and now, I take him and his friends with me. The boys
are always competing with each other on the boats. If his friends
want to go fishing, I always have room for them...I always make
time for the children.
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Early morning light comes across the waters of the Great South Bay. The salt breeze blows through the kitchen window. You wake up your 6 year old to take him out for the first time on the water. As you walk him onto the boat you are praying that the fish will bite and he'll get his first catch. He sees his first sand shark come over the rail. All the kids run around the mate to see and touch. Not a big deal to the adults, but to our children it's magic. Heck, a sea robin is banner day to a 6 year old. Real life is the greatest teacher. Turn off the electronic babysitter, the Nintendo 64 and the Dreamcast games. They'll be brain dead at the age of 12 and their only conversation will be about getting to level 42 of Donkey Kong. Give them a life...a real adventure that will help them grow and have a real understanding of life's gifts. I watch a kid walk up to the pilot house. He looks, up watching the Captain stear the ship, cutting across the water. The Captain stops and places him in the driver seat...you just made his day...and he'll be dreaming about this for nights to come. When I see parents bringing their kids out, it makes me smile. I see another fisherman coming up the ropes and all this sport will give him or her for years to come. My son doesn't remember the fish, he remembers the Captains and the mates...and the characters on the boats. The fish are just the extras. I hear him tell stories of his experiences. That makes me smile. Keep Long Island's tradition of fishing alive, take your children and pass it down. It's a great gift to give to them for life and it's something you can share with them throughout their lives. My son is 12 and now, I take him and his friends with me. The boys are always competing with each other on the boats. If his friends want to go fishing, I always have room for them...I always make time for the children. |
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