Praying for Everybody’s Safety…and Getting Back to Fishing

Springtime is usually a happy season filled with great expectations, but my thoughts are a complete jumble this morning. Fishing is way down the list. Somehow our world has been jerked inside out and flipped upside down in one fell stroke by a tiny bug. A bug that doesn’t look nearly as dangerous as the dreaded H1N1 flu pandemic of a decade ago on one hand, but the other hand is filled with so many unknowns, not the least of which is fear.  

Almost overnight our country is being rattled to the pillars of its foundation. Elections have been postponed. Economic indicators are sinking and soaring, and then sinking even deeper. Schools, businesses, offices, factories and even churches are closed. Major league sporting and entertainment events are shut down. People are afraid to leave their homes. My local grocery looks to have been invaded by a horde of locusts. Let’s hope it’s overreaction but better to err on the side of caution if we must err at all.

Where all this will end is a great mystery and much is at stake. Of course the health and safety of all our people is everybody’s greatest concern and we are willing to make sacrifices to help accomplish this. My most sincere prayer is that this horrible nightmare will pass soon and America can get back on her feet and back to business.  

In his inaugural address to the nation during the darkest days of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged Americans by saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Perhaps a big dose of those words would be good medicine for all of us right now.

Though fishing may be taking a back seat for a few weeks, there’s lots of good fishing to be had for those who can get on the water and enjoy it. Unusually mild winter weather brought an early spring to Texas bays. March is supposed to be a tough month for catching as winter slowly fades to spring but, here in the middle of the month, it almost seems the dreaded transition of seasons and fish patterns never quite happened this year. The past several weeks have been almost balmy compared to prior years and the fish seem as happy as the anglers chasing them.

Looking ahead, if your young ones are out of school due to the Covid-19 scare, taking them fishing would be a great time for family entertainment and bonding. What better way to avoid social crowding than a day of fresh Texas air and a tug on their line?

My final thought here is for everyone to use common sense, take every precaution practical to avoid infection, and pray for our country. America is the greatest nation ever in history. We are blessed with the finest health care systems staffed by the most capable medical professionals. We will rise to this current challenge and come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever!