By Danny Maybin
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to bring one of my heroes and mentors on a saltwater trip. It was early June and although he was aging and had some limitations, he was all in.
You see, I have known this guy all my life and he is like a second dad to me. Even the long trip to the coast was a joy, as I listened to the stories of his childhood here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Larry is his name. As we neared our destination, he seemed a little apprehensive. Larry had never been out of sight of land in all of his 78 years.
We checked in at the motel and the charter, making sure everything was set for a good day on the Atlantic. By the way, if you want good seafood, Calabash, N.C. is not a bad choice. We made sure we got our fill.
The next morning we were up with the dawn and headed to the dock. Larry seemed nervous about seasickness, but a Benadryl and a coke later, and he was good to go.
If youâve ever done a headboat trip, you know to be in the front when boarding so you can get set up at the stern of the boat. Everything, so far, was working perfectly until one of those thoughtless, inconsiderate, Iâve done this a thousand times guys with his son tried to elbow in between Larry and myself. To say the least, I was steamed and had started to confront him and then I caught Larryâs expression. In a glance Larry told me, âItâs just not worth itâ which I had to respect although I did manage to elbow the guy out of the way before we started fishing without Larryâs knowledge. I still canât fathom why anyone would act like they are a seasoned headboat customer. Really?
We fished our hearts out in one of those strong N.C. currents and caught a lot of fish, most of which wouldnât make creel length here in the mountains, but every time I would glance over at Larry he had a big wide grin on his face and that was my payoff. You see, Larry knew how to enjoy the moment and let the little annoyances of life flow right on by, undetected. I have to admit, Iâm still working on that. A kind heart and peace of mind is a wonderful treasure to possess.
His real sons, my best friends, and I lost Larry last year to pancreatic cancer. Even through his suffering, he was always kind, gentle and encouraging. My wish is that every man or woman would be blessed with a Larry in his life.
Danny Maybinâs family has fished and hunted in the area of Lake Summit for at least six generations. He is a state firearms instructor a, blacksmith, musician/luthier, and his favorite, a fishinâ and hunting resort facilitator. He also does voice acting, copywriting, and short story humor.