My Favorite Fisherman

Of my top favorite fishermen in history George Washington has to rank at the top.  While he did not so much fish in the same manner that I do, he did turn fishing into quite an industry for himself and not only did the income spur on his fortune, the fish were used to benefit his farming operations.  There are not many men in history so well rounded as he.  George Washington has long been one of the historical figures I admire the most, and his full-frontal assault on life is nothing short of astounding.  He knew how to attack so many aspects of life in pursuit of being all he could possibly be that he rose in so many areas and so many ways through strategy and hard work and determination.  Not only did he achieve great things which can still be viewed today in his estate on the Potomac, he also was part of the founding of the greatest nation the world has ever known, and lead it into its birth as well as its infancy, setting it on the course that is still standing strong today.

                                                        Diversification 

While my interests vary slightly from his, I take quite a lot of my inspiration in their pursuit from learning about his life.  I have no desire to achieve the level of social standing nor fame he rose to, but his hustle has always been something that attracted my attention.  He made some strategic moves within his personal life, he made some moves with the connections that he maintained and he made some moves through his career choices, but his farm and the many facets that generated income around and through his farming operations was nothing short of impressive.  His crops, his distillery, his livestock, his mill, and his fishing operation all piece together his various streams of income.                                                                                          Washington was strategic and intelligent. 

Fish With Purpose

Since a very young age I always strived to broaden my pursuits and interests to levels where everything made a return, rather than simply being a wasted effort and even the waste from one operation flowed directly into productivity in another.  While farming has not been a feasible option for me on any real scale, I have tried to tailor my other work options in similar fashion.  Efficiency, productivity, and quality.  Even my fishing methods have taken on the same traits.  My kayaks do not require gas, oil, nor other electrical upkeep, nor do they currently require a yearly registration fee with the state, thus my overhead is low, also my fish I tend to only fish species I can and will consume, thus cutting back on my grocery bill as often as I can.  Someday I hope to achieve the sort of freedom George Washington enjoyed for brief stints between his duties to his country, but until then I will maintain as similar approach to his farming and fishing operations as I possibly can.  God truly blessed George Washington with many opportunities which he capitalized on more often than not and allowed him the insight to use his failures as learning experiences and stepping stones into the greatness he achieved.  May that be true of my own life and yours’ as well. 

Micah 4:4

(said to be Washington’s favorite verse)