Jackie Chiles

Jackie Chiles

I’ve grown to admire Jackie Chiles, the Super Lawyer in Seinfeld!, for his ability to categorize issues in groups of three.  Moreover, each word in the grouping should sound similar enough to pass as poetry (at least to me.) So a situation isn’t “bad”; it’s something along the lines of “Egregious! Outrageous! And Preposterous!”  It’s simply fun to try to do this; after all, it’s “Educational!  Recreational! and  Motivational!”  But I also think that if you can arrive at a conclusion from three separate angles, or accomplish something in three different ways, you’ve probably developed a complete understanding and mastery of the situation; and you deserve to have some fun and you get to talk however you desire.  This doesn’t necessarily fly at work, and most strangers don’t seem to be prepared for this kind of language.  Even my friends and family seem to have limited appreciation for this skill.

But if I were to ever have come home with a girlfriend whose personality was "Viscous! Pernicious! but Meretricious!" my family could justifiably be concerned.  If I'm remembered as "Altruistic!  Enthusiastic! but just a Little Spastic!" or "Prophetic!  Methodic! and Mildly Mephitic!", then that's OK.  This might seem "Ridiculous!  Ambiguous! and Amphibolous!", but here’s why Jackie Chiles would approve my blog; it encourages "Expectation!  Participation!  And Elaboration!"  (It could also turn out to be about… absolutely nothing.  So maybe Jackie and I have much else in common.  We’re spinning our wheels, and headed no-where?)  But this is about fun, so let me explain how this fictitious TV lawyer has somehow insinuated himself into my Numenon (at least my blog.)

Jackie Chiles, from the web - and enumerating!

Expectation!  Thinking about what’s going to happen, and waiting for that opportunity, is at least half the fun.  Whether it’s in the short term (anticipation of the next bite); a longer time frame (tomorrow’s trip or this month’s vacation to Maine); or on a Bucket List (Block Island Stripers and Bluefin tuna?), this expectation provides the foundation upon which the experience will be evaluated.  And even if the experience doesn’t come to pass, all that time spent in expectation should have been spent on positive thoughts.  (I refuse to include all the logistical worries associated with pulling off a trip as “expectation.”  That negative energy counts as “work” to me.)  This period can represent a significant portion of the total experience “time budget”, so it’s value in total enjoyment of the experience should not be over-looked.  I think the folks who show simply up on a boat, having not really considered what’s going to take place, have missed a significant opportunity to enhance their experience.  Even if they happen to enjoy a quality outing, can they really appreciate it?

This unplanned evening of Mutton Snappers (firsts for me) caught me by surprise, so could I truly appreciate the experience?

Participation! I shouldn’t even have to write this, but I think fishing is fun!  Each bite; each tug and pull; the sound of each slipping drag; and the first glimpse of every fish thrills me to a certain extent.  As an added bonus, it all happens outdoors, sometimes even under pleasant conditions.  You never know what you’re going to see, but it’s probably something you won’t see from the couch or cubicle.  And I rarely fish with enemies, while often fishing with friends and family.  I think this is a good thing in my life.

Elaboration!  All fishermen love to tell stories.  And I’m blessed with a pretty good memory, so I’ve been able to keep my stories pretty straight.  At various times I’ve recorded logs of my fishing trips, but these have always been a little bit on the scientific side, i.e., a tool to help me crack the pertinent code to better catches.  They’re boring.  But the advent of these new-fangled electronic tools has made it easier to capture and elaborate on my experiences.  I’m enjoying this.  I’m also enjoying this tangential exploration (such as it is) of what makes me tick, why I do these things, how I can continue to grow, and what I might have to share.

Finally, this process of “Expectation! Participation! And Elaboration!” lets me appreciate and relive these experiences repeatedly and to my heart’s content.  Because I guess I can’t satisfy myself with just the fishing; I need more than the act itself.