By Ronnie Parris
Know your place! At some time in our lives, I’m sure everyone has been told this. Maybe it was a teacher, or a boss, or a parent. Usually, when you’ve heard this, it was a bad thing. When I tell you to “know your place,” I want it to be a good thing. I’ll bet if you ask any outdoorsmen if he has a special place that he goes when life seems too hard and it feels like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, he or she will undoubtedly say, “yes”. You need somewhere you can go and let nature heal the pains you are feeling.
Four years ago for a 4-month span, I had to deal with the loss of my brother, then, within weeks, a close friend was taking a load of logs to the sawmill when his breaks gave out and his life was taken. In only a few months, one of my best friend’s son was lost to a jetski accident. With all this, coming in such a short period of time, I could hardly bear the pain and the loss I felt. I really don’t know if I would have been able to stand it if I hadn’t had a place to escape to. Whether it’s a trout stream way back in the woods, or a secluded place on the lake, or a hardwood ridge, you just need somewhere to go to try to make since of things and figure out how to heal and move on.
The term “healing waters” has a lot of meaning for me, just a place to let the water carry your problems away. I love fishing, I do it for a living, but sometimes, it’s not about catching fish, but just being out without all the distractions and letting things slow down till you can get a handle on them. I am probably one of the luckiest guys around, as I have been blessed with a wonderful family, who is always there in my time of need. Also I have, without a doubt, been blessed with some of the best friends a man could possibly have. With many of whom I have shared countless hours on the water.
When I lost my brother and my buddy lost his son, another thing that was a saving grace I think, for both of us, was that we both had a grandchild come into our lives. Nothing in this world fills the hole of a broken heart like a child who wants nothing but to be loved. Without this, I don’t know if I could have made it. This is not the kind of article I set down to write, but I thought maybe it could help somebody, or maybe it just helped me to write it. So I’ll close by saying next time someone tells you, “you better know your place,” tell them you already do
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Caronina, heart of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains, www.smounlimited.com.