Twice in One Night!

I know - in the big scheme of things - that I'm a spectacularly successful human being.  Shelter and food are well taken care of, and I'm fortunate to partake in meaningful personal relationships and community endeavors.  I'm doubly employed, and let's face it, I have the time and materials necessary to sit around thinking about these things and blogging.  When I do so, I'd like to think I'm at the pinnacle of Maslow's Hierarchy.

And yet it's still an unrelenting struggle to keep good tires on the vehicles, consistently choose healthy foods, and pay the bills while saving for retirement.  It's also the middle of winter, I'm probably a bit deficient in Vitamin D, I day-dream of warmth, and the fishing's been inconsistent.  So I was probably quite vulnerable to what I experienced the other night.

I was at a communal celebration in support of our local schools when I fell into a conversation with the father of my daughter's friend.  We know each other just a bit.  We haven't fished together (yet), but as usual, we ended up talking about fishing.  I bemoaned the lack of ice, while "H" described the new ice rod he'd just picked up.  His plans included a trip to Lake of the Woods!  He was leaving in just a couple of days!

Sweet!  Lake of the Woods should be on every freshwater fisherman's Bucket List; it's certainly on mine.  H admittedly isn't much of an ice fisherman, but this business/networking opportunity came up.  Gotta keep those customers satisfied; he had to go!

My night continued with a dinner party at which I found myself seated with several near strangers.  But "D" and I hit it off pretty well, pretty quickly, and soon enough we were talking about fishing.  D admitted he wasn't too into fishing, but he did partake in an annual pilgrimage to Florida's Keys, where he connected with his guy friends from college.  Some names and time frames were dropped, and it became pretty obvious that I'd seen (and remembered) some Saturday morning fishing shows featuring his college roommate, and at which D had been present for the taping.   Life should not be all work and no play; obviously you have to take the occasional break from filming the TV Fishing Shows to go...recreate?

I hate the green cloak of jealousy, and I try not to wear it.  I do maintain an awareness that it's in my closet, however.  So I'll carefully recognize that my evening's acquaintences are the recipients of good luck.  I'll further recognize that they likely worked hard at cultivating this good fortune.

And yet, twice in one night?  Really?