Partners

It's great to have a good, reliable fishing partner.  I've had a series of such go-to buddies that I've shared many trips, meals, beers and adventures with.  Some partnerships have been driven by friendship, with others based on convenience and shared interests.  The best partnerships maintain themselves in absentia, while those of convenience help fill in the gaps.  But while I've netted many a fish for my partners, and they've done the same for me, in general my giantest fishes have come when I've fished alone.  I can't really explain it, but my largest salmon, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout and steelhead have all come while fishing solo.  Conditions were miserable for several of these catches, so maybe that's part of it; or maybe I'm more intense while fishing by myself; or perhaps I'm pushing the envelope of Big Fish Seasons when I've encountered these fish.  In sum, I'm not against fishing by myself, but I really like having somebody to share these things with; if only to get a good picture of me with my fish!

While I can barely swim, swimming has become an integral part of my family life.  Both kids have become  better-than-decent competitive swimmers, and we've embraced the benefits of this particular sport (physical conditioning, time management, mental toughness, a sense that work can be transformed into tangible reward.)  Over the years, age group and high school swimming have been our gateway into the local community, a primary way we've met friends, socialized, and generally managed these aspects  of our lives.  I've been hanging around the sport long enough to have served on the board of our local age group swim club, and I can attest to the power of partnerships within this group!  At first glance, we're just a bunch of (active and concerned) parents.  Yet collectively, we're a fairly effective unit, because we each bring different skills to the table. So while I can bring some technical skills to the actual execution and scoring of a meet, others can bring their social skills to the Official's Hospitality Suite, their acounting skills to balancing the club's budget, or their networking skills to Fundraising.  I don't want to do those tasks, and most others don't want the pressure of running the meet.  Together, as partners, we can get it done; in the best scenario, it seems effortless and hardly gets noticed.

I have come to realize at work, that I'm not worth much without my partners.  Whether internal or external, my interactions with these folks make my work more effective and more meaningful.  At the very least, without my partners's issues,  my job would have neither purpose nor meaning.  I hope they can say the same about their interactions with me.  At their best, partnerships offer the realized promise of worthwhile shared experience, and all the tangible benefits and opportunities for personal growth that go along with these.  Together, we can progress towards some goal of importance; and we can each take away the befit of our contributions.  This process also helps build my network of reliable allies, and buys me some business/professional credibility along the way.  Since I have to work, I may as well be working towards, and receiving, these benefits!  This all makes sense, but as I noted above, in the best cases, it's effortless and easily not noticed.

Now good partnership (or lack thereof) can make or break a Tournament effort.  On the Great Lakes, there is no "I" in "Tournament".  You win or lose as a team.  On Numenon, about the smallest allowable boat in these tournies, good teamwork compensates for many (but certainly not all) of the advantages of a bigger boat.  We do a good job of setting and monitoring lines, we're in constant close communication with each other, and while we each have our specialties, we can each sub for the other and step in when a task needs attention.  Good tournamt partners have arrived on time, stuck it out through seasickness, spotted trap nets, navigated through a phalanx of other boats, kept up with speedy fish, and secured fish in the net!  I have learned a lot from my Tournament partners, both about actual fishing techniques, but also strategies for preparation and remaining positive for the entire duration of the event.  Again, I hope my partners can say the same about me!

On a more informal basis, you know when a guided day has hit it's stride when the shyness has worn off, but the talk has dwindled, and everybody on the boat is actively focused on the fishing.  When the guide can truly hand off the presentation aspect of the fishing and simply deal with boat control; when the angler can proceed without awaiting further guided instruction, the partnership has been established and the catching gets serious.

I need to acknowledge my wife as my longest tenured and most favorite fishing partner.  We've been fishing together with varying frequency for 31 years now, and while I always try to make it pleasant, I'm sure she's suffered through some slow times and/or discomfort.  But recall, one of her first attractions to me was my mounted smallie, hung on the wall of my freshman dorm room.  She therefore had fair warning of what she might have been getting into.  Now our common goals are to enjoy the day, fish in a setting of choice, catch a few fish, and keep the enthusiasm alive for future adventures.  Because we have some plans, and we both look foward to a continued, life-long partnership (including some fishing!)

But this essay really took shape during a recent incident at my youngest's high school.  It was Parent Orientation Night, where the 'rents walk through their kids' school day, get a small dose of each class, and meet the teachers.  I took a seat prior to one of these classes and started chatting with a friend-of-a-friend.  We must have looked pretty intense, because when the teacher was passing out the class syllabus, it became clear that she wanted to give one to each set of parents; and she wasn't sure if we were a set.  I've been mistaken for a fair number of things, but this was the first time I'd been (knowingly) mistaken for a Same-Sex Domestic Partner.  No offense taken; I guess we were a natural pair with my outdoorsy mountain freshness and his mod fashion sense.