June 27, 2004> 6:53 PM
a present
I got a present today from my friend Debi. She brought me a book called Dances With Trout by John Gierach. I don't think Debi knew the jewel she had found. I have read two other Gierach books. For fly fisherman, he is a voice - a great writer, very funny. Not many who do not waive the wand can understand his language though. And I'm pretty sure John doesn't do much talking to God. I'm thinking that God, on the other hand, may well be talking to John, or at least using his pen for a second. Today, within ten minutes of beginning to read my new book, I read a paragraph that had nothing to do with God or Church or anything of the sort. Rather, it was about minimum water flow for Trout streams. But then I was stopped, and I read it again. Then I read it to Liz and her eyes widened. It was there - the small signature of God.
This was something a handful of us locals have been kicking around for a couple of decades now, first as part of Trout Unlimited, then as I don't know what. At one point some people started referring to us as the TLO (Trout Liberation Organization) but that didn't stick because right about then it was becoming clear that terrorism wasn't really very funny. I suggested the National Riffle Association, but in the end we didn't need a name because we weren't an organization in the usual sense. I think we realized it was better to remain a nameless, onorganized handful of people with a more or less common vision so that the occasional good idea wouldn't have to undergo surgery by a committee.
Oh my. If you get that, you get it like a telegram to you. If you don't, don't try to hard - it probably won't come. It may not be your message. But wow - seriously. See, there's something about fly fishing that will probably just make you a conduit for the voice of God, ha! I'll continue to read the book just for what it is and I'll be surprised, as I was with this, if any more nuggets like that float up in the pan. If nothing else, this relatively unorganized dude needs to go fishing more. I'm very serious about that now. Pax et piscis vobiscum.
June 27, 2004
> 6:53 PM
038
