On The Fly

In this episode, A Burr in the Britches . . . People often ask why I'm always up before the birds. Well, mostly because I'm awake. And if I’m awake, there’s usually a mental list of things to do already spooling out like a tangled fly line. But really, it's about the quiet. That sliver of pre-dawn peace. Coffee, a few pages of whatever's on the side table – right now, it’s a dog-eared copy of humorous essays on Fly Fishing by John Gierach – then shutting off the lights and just . . . thinking and sorting out the day's tangles before they actually tangle. You'd think a clear, crisp morning would feel like a blessing after a couple of days of rain. And it did, mostly. But there's always something, isn't there? A little burr in the britches, a knot in the tippet. This morning, it was the neighbor's lights. Now, I'm not one to get all worked up about such things. But there it was, this unwelcome glow seeping in through the windows. The side door an...

In this episode, Fishing for an Idea . . .   “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone for eighty-four days now without taking a fish.” No, no, this is not the Gulf it's the Au Sable River .   . . . Smell - the crisp scent of the northern pines. Focus - this is your enlightened creative self-expression talking. Place your inspired future front and center in your life. Listen - can you hear the soft gurgling sound of running water? Cast your fly-rod into that swirling pool. There’s an idea there. Wake-up! Your eyelids flicker then instantly your eyes pop open. The clock on the dresser says 4:00 a.m. In a semi-consciousness state, you stumble out of bed. You make your way, in the dark, to that little room where the world has absolved you of all obligations to communicate with another human being. Privacy. Face-it, we all do it - scattered thoughts as we talk to ourselves in our minds, especially when we’re dreaming. Well, now that you're u...

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone for eighty-four days now without taking a fish.”   No, no, it's the Au Sable river in Michigan.  . . . It’s time for enlightened self-interest. Place your financial future front and center in your life. I’m not a person looking for a job. I’m a company, a financial entity providing cash flow to enjoy a healthy lifestyle over the next 50 years. Wake-up! Your eyes flicker and slowly open. The clock on the dresser says 3:45 a.m. In a semi-consciousness state you stumble out of bed. You make your way down the hall to that little room where the world has absolved you of all obligations to communicate with another human being. Privacy. Well, now that you're up - let’s enjoy a cup of of hot coffee. One sugar and a little milk please Junior. Who am I talking to? Shaking your head, you realize, no one in their right mind is up this early, go back to bed . Right Junior? The cat is sitting...