What You Don't Know...

I was recently re-acquainted with a distant, non-blood relative, and over the course of a pleasant dinner in which I impressed her with my "I can-identify that-fish-and-place in-any-photo" skills, the subject of her new boat came up.  Great, she has a new 24-footer on the ICW down on Florida's Treasure Coast!  Sweet!  Further conversations indicated that she has a dog; the dog's name is Molly; the dog really likes the boat; and the boat needs a name.

Now I don't really know the boat, the dog, the place or even the owner all that well; but the next morning I knew the boat's name should be Molly's Ecstasy!

Here's why this is a fitting proposal:

• It sounds a little racey, and that's  nearly always a positive characteristic in a boat name; and
• One glance at a picture clearly reveals Molly's enthusiastic pleasure, nay ecstasy, of being on the boat!

Yet, this is a South Florida boat, and I know that the drug culture and corresponding law enforcement efforts depicted in Miami Vice, Coast Guard Florida and such are based, at least in a little part, on reality.  And a quick Google search of the name Molly has taught me that "Molly" is (loosely characterized as) a newly popular designer/refined version of the illegal drug "Ecstasy."  So Molly is Ecstasy!  Molly's Ecstasy!

This innocent nomination may appear, in certain circles and circumstances, to be not-so-innocent, and at the very least could result in excessive Coast Guard boardings and safety checks. 

So...What you don't know certainly adds on to the top of what you do know.  It's always there, and its presence should be respected.

And...What you don't know can certainly come back to bite you.

What's this got to do with my fishing?  First, I need to be open to explore the edges, to define and reveal what I don't know; so that I can choose to incorporate my findings into what I do know.  So whether Alabama Rigs and Pike get along real well or not, I'll find out either way; and I'll be better off in the future for knowing.  I'll either have Alabama Rigs in my arsenal, or I'll know I don't need to.   It's the same deal with stripers and kites, J-plug teasers and sails, and bass and Choopies.  Second, I need to understand and respect the notion that it's all too easy to step out of bounds, thereby causing some confusion, resentment, embarrassment, or some other misgiving.  So I'll continue to try to watch my words.

I don't get to name all that many boats, and so why'll I'm pretty certain that Molly's Ecstacy! is an awesome, appropriate name in most circles, it might not be in others.  So whether you live with or near drug-runners or those in pursuit, at least be aware of what might be read into a name.