Landing the Big One

I'm not much of a fisherman.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy casting a line every now and then as much as the next guy.  But all in all, I find the whole exercise a bit droll.  Fishing requires far more patience than I possess (I guess I'm too A.D.D.).  My brother, on the other hand, is an absolute fanatic.  He LOVES fishing.  To be clear, when I say "fishing" I don't mean snagging a few perch off the end of a pier - I mean FISHING.  We're talking about wrestling 700-1200 lb monsters from the deep blue over the course of several hours.  Man-style.

When asked why he loves it so much, my brother will attempt to outline the indescribable thrill of the fight. He'll explain how bobbing around in the ocean all day, suffering hours of mind-numbing tedium, pays off the instant your reel screams to life.  Man against nature.  Hunter against prey.

I can relate on a whole other level.  I experienced this same thrill when recently contacted by an old acquaintance from high school.  Quite out of the blue, this guy (who I haven't talked to in 25 years) sent me a FB message asking if we could talk.  Intrigued, I naturally picked up the phone and dialed.  It wasn't long into our conversation that my old classmate, who we'll call "Fred,"admitted to reading my blog (the same one you're presently skimming) and admitted he may have a problem with alcohol.

ZZZIIIING!!!  The 12-step fishing reel screamed to life - I had a live one on the line!  I pulled out all the stops and tried everything in my Recovery tackle box attempting to land him into the AA boat.  I explained the misery of my life as an alcoholic and let him identify with his own experiences.  He'd fight and thrash, then I'd let him run on the line.  Just when he thought he'd gotten away, I yanked on the pole and started reeling - I outlined my many, MANY regretful nights of drinking, but nary a single regretful day of sobriety.  It was a magnificent fight!

Eventually the line snapped and he got away.  But that's okay, he still has my hook in his mouth.  :)