Trent Heath-Visit to the River

Trent Heath

Blog #7

December 4, 2009

Visit to the River

The town where I am from is a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by three rivers, the York, The Mattaponi, and the Pamunkey. Growing up in the summertime I spent a lot of time on the water, fishing, tubing, swimming and just enjoying it in general. Earlier in the semester my friend Justin and I went fishing on his boat, something we do frequently during the summertime. We caught four croaker, that were big enough to keep, the rest we tossed back. There is little conversation, mainly just fishing, sitting and drinking some beer. Being on the water provides a sense of calmness, gently rocking back and forth, it is the most peaceful setting in the world. I would like to say that the conversation was stimulating, but it was simple, like we both were there just to reflect on our lives.

Going fishing provided time away, which is important, I did not find God or anything but just sitting there, on the boat, waiting for fish to bite, that was peaceful. It is not always necessary to experience a profound thought, or come to some deep understanding, but the absence of thought is clarity in itself. I love being out on the water, it feels natural and fishing is one of the most peaceful activities, in my opinion. It seems like I can have the worst day of my life, but going out on the water makes the terrible feelings go away and nothing else matters, that is what makes the rivers that surround that small town, a sacred place. We create stress in our lives, and often enough we do not find activities to escape the stress, and going out on the water does that for me.