justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Confused

Catch 1 fish, win a pole – Catch no fish, win a tackle box!

When I was seven years old, my father took me to a fishing derby at Lake Merritt, an inland lake near downtown Oakland, California. My experiences at that event and another derby the following year highly influenced my lasting feelings about effort and the resulting reward. 

The first year, I remember baiting my hook, throwing the line into the lake, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more. After what seemed like a really long time, there was a nibble on my line and my dad “helped” me jerk the line out of the water. I was excited to see a little smelt on my hook! We continued to fish for the rest of the day and then took my catch to the judging stand where they presented me with a bamboo fishing pole – the first thing I’d ever won.

The following year? Same place and same routine, but with different results. No fish were caught by anyone at the lake – a really bad year for fishing, but maybe a good one for the fish. At the end of the day, we reported to the judging stand where I was presented a shiny tackle box – which confused me.

After these two events, I believe I’d learned my first lesson of reward for effort, which surely has contributed to my upside-down perspective on motivation and consequences. More specifically:

·     “Reward or consequences are not always in sync with the effort, resources, or results that were invested!”

And now, over six decades later, I find myself living next to that very same lake where my fishy (though true) tale took place. Makes me feel that life is truly special and presents me with many wonderful surprises!