| I grew up in Texas and stayed at my | | | | along with a hundred other thrill seekers, hoping to |
| grandmothers' house all week during the | | | | catch the "big" one. We were ushered into the |
| summers. My grandparents loved to go fishing. | | | | bowel of the boat for the 3 hour trip to the |
| They fished, probably, every lake in Texas, | | | | fishing spot predesignated by the captain. At |
| before their passing.Vacations for me were going | | | | dawn we were awakened by the captain and told |
| with my grandparents on their vacations, which | | | | we were at our destination. I was actually looking |
| was always a fishing trip to Lake Dallas or | | | | forward to fishing for the "big" one, until I walked |
| Texoma Lake. George and Billie were die-hard | | | | the stairs to the main deck to view more water |
| fishermen. They started before dawn, in the dark | | | | than I ever imagined seeing. There was no land in |
| and loaded their aluminum boat with all of their | | | | sight. Immediately, my stomach was in my throat |
| gear. I usually fell back asleep in the boat and did | | | | and I knew I was in trouble. I ran back downstairs |
| not wake up until we were at their favorite spot | | | | to use the potty and was greeted by a sign |
| on the lake. I always felt they knew every nook | | | | stating " Go to the side of the boat if you are |
| and cranny the the sand bass or big mouth bass | | | | sick". This made me even sicker. There was no |
| were hiding. We would stay in the boat on the | | | | way I was going to throw up in front of 100 |
| lake all day, just coming in for a short break or | | | | strangers. Not today, not ever.Somehow I was |
| sandwich and then back to fishing. As a child, I | | | | able to hold this sickness all day. We did not catch |
| loved to fish, but probably not as much as they | | | | the big one. A storm came up and the captain |
| did.When we went fishing it was the norm to | | | | turned the boat around and headed for shore. I |
| bring home hundreds (or it seemed like hundreds) | | | | did not realize that the captain had been drinking |
| of fish, that my grandfather would carefully scale | | | | beer all day and was driving the boat like a |
| and clean to be put into the freezer for a | | | | maniac. Once we were on land, we drove home. |
| wonderful fish fry at a later date. I wasn't | | | | It took me two days to get over the sea |
| particularly fond of fried fish at that time of my | | | | sickness and to this day I have not been back to |
| life. Back in the 50s, fileting fish wasn't done as | | | | deep sea fish.I do love to fish on a much smaller |
| often as it is today. Almost always, I would choke | | | | scale. I used to think my grandmother was |
| on the tiny bones in the fish, even when I was | | | | dragged to the lake to fish. I once told her when I |
| extremely careful.Probably one of my | | | | grew up, I would see to it that she had a real |
| grandparents greatest adventures was the time | | | | vacation. she laughed and said, "Honey, I love to |
| when my Uncle Ted took them to the Gulf of | | | | fish and would not want to vacation any other |
| Mexico to deep sea fish. My grandparents were | | | | way." Until the day my grandmother passed |
| like two little children in their excitement and | | | | away, she would go to her little cabin at Lake |
| prospect of fishing the big ocean. They brought | | | | Dallas and stay and fish by herself. |
| home an ice chest full of fish, including a red | | | | She truly loved to fish!Michele Graham-CEO and |
| snapper as I remember. As an adult, my husband | | | | owner of Professional Healthcare Management has |
| and I were also treated to a deep sea fishing trip | | | | 41 years in the healthcare industry. She writes |
| by Uncle Ted. My husband, who loved to fish as | | | | about business issues in all businesses and the |
| well, was beside himself.We awoke at midnight to | | | | healthcare field as well. She also likes to write |
| drive to the party boat my uncle had rented, | | | | about her life experiences. |