Wednesday, April 29, 2009

In appreciation of God's river

photo via Webutante

Webutante is fly fishing the Delaware River with men she has known for two decades:
Yesterday winds blew steadily at about 15-20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. To say it was difficult casting is an understatement. The hardest part was watching our guides rowing downstream against the wind for a large part of 12 miles of float.

Two drift boats of us finally got to our takeout about 10 pm in pitch black dark and light rain. Only maniacs would call it a wonderful day. That must mean that we are all indeed maniacs as everyone declared it a very good day in spite of the very difficult conditions. Almost no fish were caught.

We'll all be out on the Delaware again today in winds forecast to be high. However, I've put my female foot down and told the men, I'm going to be off the river tonight by 8 pm. Or else. It sounds good in theory. We'll see how it works out.

Tame those men! Like a lion tamer cracking a whip in a cage of cats. 8:00 PM! Crack! Civilize em! Like the Widow Douglass and Miss Watson civilized Huck Finn.

Were I a woman, I could imagine few things better than being on a river with a group of such men; few things better than being invited into the boys clubhouse, than being a special object of attention therein.

A thing which Webutante realizes, and which many less wise women do not: she likes it that the men have spirit and testosterone foolishness. She likes it that they need some taming. If they needed no taming, if their spirit were absolutely and completely and perfectly civilized: she would not like it at all. The men would not be as attractive to her. The men need taming. Yes they do. And they are lucky to have her there to provide it. They are also lucky that Jane, in her wisdom, will not hope to completely tame them; that she will, instead, fully appreciate and enjoy their untamed aspects.

Jane likely knows all this better than I ever will. She sees men in ways which I cannot; and from a perspective and from a life experience which I cannot share. I am writing in appreciation of fine and wise women; in appreciation of the untamed men who love them; and in appreciation of God's river.

1 comment:

Webutante said...

Thank you,Greg, you're much kinder than I deserve. It's great fun and always a learning experience. It helps to have good man material to work with and I have the best even on a bad day!!

--Jane