"On a quick-melt year, all of the riverside fenced walkways we would fish from as kids ended up completely submerged under the raging torrents," he explained.
That year when he was 12, he and a buddy had decided they were going fishing, despite the incredibly high river levels. They knew the dangers involved, and they also knew their parents were very aware of where they fished.
On the morning in question, these two boys got up and already were loading up their gear when their parents issued this warning: "DO NOT go to the river! If you do, you won't be fishing for a long, long time!"
"Of course," they replied, and then headed out the door.
A little high water wasn't going to scare these boys away from their favorite fishing spot. They had it all planned. They first would just go where they told their parents they were gonna go, then after a bit, they would head for their honey hole in the high water.
"Besides, no one will ever know!" they thought.
Their plan worked for about 24 hours, and then the 12-year-old's dad showed up from work and unrolled the newspaper.
There we were, in all our glory, on the front page of the paper in about an 8 x 10 color shot, fishing near the raging torrents. The headline read: "Two local teens braving the dangerous waters for a chance to land a big one! Turn to page 10 for more photos"...six more photos, to be exact.
The 12-year-old and his buddy were posing with their rods, tackle and a couple of fish, happier than pigs in slop that they were going to be in the newspaper.
Funny how when you're 12, you don't really think about the consequences of posing for a full spread in the local paper when you're fishing in a place where you've been forbidden to go in the first place. But, after a nicely reddened rear end, a good tongue lashing, and a couple weeks of no fishing, I had learned my lesson.
I can relate to this article. Back when I, too, was about 12, I went against Mom and Dad's rules one afternoon as I walked home from school with my younger brother. I had decided we would take a detour and walk along some railroad tracks. As in the earlier case, I likewise figured no one ever would know. I had "briefed" my brother about what would happen to him if he ratted me out.
Anyway, we walked home just like I planned that afternoon, but there was a flaw in my thinking, just as there was in the earlier case. I failed to consider that my uncle worked on the railroad, and don't you know he spotted my brother and me that day and spilled the beans to Mom and Dad.
Imagine my surprise when they confronted me with the revelation. They knew it was all my idea, and I paid the same price as the earlier 12-year-old...while my brother watched, I might add. I can assure you I never repeated that mistake.
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