“Granpa, why are you fishin’?”

Theodore smiled at his grandson’s question, enjoying the simple naiveté therein.

“Well, Carl, that’s not a question I’ve been asked before. Folks often ask me what kind of fish I hope to catch, or why I fish in this spot or that spot, but no one has ever asked me why I indulge in this hobby of mine.”

Carl was already transfixed, as he often he was when his much adored grandfather explained things to him, and so sensing that there was more than a simple answer still to come he settled down on the dock in the way that children do when they are entertained.

“I suppose I like to come down here onto the dock and cast a line into the water for a whole bunch’o reasons, Carl. I like to be out of the house, and coming out to spend some time fishin’ gets me time under the sky come rain or shine. But it’s not just about being out of doors. The time I spend out here lets me do some thinkin’ as well.”

“But don’t you want to catch fish, Granpa?”

“Well it’s not as important as trying to catch them.”