Gone
Fishin'
September 4, 2002
"What
do you mean you don't have air conditioning?" my
father asked me in shock when we talked on the phone on
the 90th consecutive day of above 90 degree temperature.
"Dad,
it's our over-reliance on fossil fuels that is releasing
all the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that is causing
it to be this hot in the first place.
If we keep using more fossil fuels and dumping more
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to deal with the heat,
we'll just be making the problem worse.
Haven't you heard of global warming, dad?"
"Of
course I have. It's
why I stopped using spray deodorant!"
"Well,
that was mighty Green of you."
"Yeah,"
he said. "But
now I need to turn up the air conditioner so I don't sweat
as much!"
But
this summer I figured out my own little solution to global
warming. Well, it's not really a solution. Because there
can be no solution as long as we continue to treat this
planet like it is our personal pantry, laboratory and
waste dump. The earth cannot continue to support us if we
refuse to support her. But at least I've come up with a
way to keep myself comfortably cool as I count my skin
cancers along with the rest of humanity: I'm going fishin'.
What
is it about fishing that is so enticing? Is it the thrill
of catching food with your own hands? Is it the universal
struggle that pits woman against nature? Is it the beauty
of spending time out of doors, at one with the universe?
Yeah, yeah all that ... and that long pole with the sharp
hook on the end! Think about it: fishing is the perfect
activity for a harried mom! It requires open space. It
requires solitude. It
requires water (and if done right, a cold beer). and most
importantly, it requires a potentially deadly weapon. Now
that adds up to one fine sport in my book.
Come
on, is there a mother out there who wouldn't love this
hobby? You get to draw a wide radius around you and say
"Stand back kids. Mama's got a hook on the end of
this line and God only knows where's it's gonna end
up!"
A
woman and her fishing pole: It's a beautiful thing!
(Back
to Eve Droppings)
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