Yesterday I fished in our third annual Trout Tournament to raise money for Casting For Recovery. We collected $4, 225 that will be used for fly fishing retreats for Indiana women who have or have had breast cancer. It sounds like such a small event but I was fortunate enough to participate in the last few retreats and see first hand what this program means to the ladies who are participating.
"Giving back" to the sport is something that I always thought was just a noble saying...an excuse to justify the countless hours and money we spend merely indulging and feeding our addiction. "Passion "is another word that somehow justifies insanity, crazy, madness.
if you are passionate about the sport that is a good thing, but if you are a trout bum you have lost it and are totally insane. hmmm, let's pretend there is a distinct difference between the two!
The trout tournament was a success, not only financially, but for me it was a way of putting many things in perspective. A fish is a fish is a fish...having your life threatened or turned upside down by a vengeful disease, leaving you feeling helpless is a challenge far more important than fourty one inches of trout.
What we do with our "passion" and the decisions we make everyday can and does affect other people and in some cases we will never know just how much.
