Do you enjoy fishing or catching fish?

My husband goes fishing whenever he has a chance. Sometimes it is during the kids’ swim practice. It may be 5 am or 9 pm. He tells me that he wants to catch some fish.

He recently signed up for a fishing competition on catching the biggest striped bass. As he has not caught a keeper this season, he expresses his disappointment that he has not gone fishing as many times as he would have like to. He is also not too thrilled to discover online that other people are posting on social media about their catch of the day – a 35-pounder. Currently, the person who caught a 48-pound (!) striped bass is in the first place.

I wonder if he only enjoys catching fish or the entire fishing experience. He is not a professional angler, yet he has intricately organized lures in compartmentalized boxes, fancy reels combined with not-your-average type of fishing rods, durable waders, and a roof rack that can hold 4-5 fishing rods. He studies the tide and decides when it is a most opportune time to fish. He pays attention to the wind which becomes one of the deciding factors of where he is going to fish. He usually fishes off the shore and rarely fishes on a boat.

For me, fishing is a fun activity I enjoy to do with my family. My husband connects the lures to our fishing rods, and off we go. Wearing our waders, we trot on the sand, sometimes walking undulating grounds for 10 minutes before we find our spot. I am not very skilled with casting, but I am learning to be better to reach further distance. Yes, catching a fish would be a great bonus; but I enjoy the process even more. The precious time with my family is priceless. Seeing how much knowledge my husband gained on fishing and everything related to it makes me admire him even more.

It is much more fulfilling to experience the journey, appreciate it and enjoy it, rather than just be happy with the end goal. There is so much more to life when we can immerse in the process, realize the person we have become, and cherish all the experiences and new things we have learned along the way.

I think my husband enjoys fishing and not just catching fish. There is a whole road ahead of me. I am learning to enjoy the journey, to take lessons from my experiences, to appreciate the wins and challenges along the way, and to take in the life lessons which are there to shape me to be a better person.