Men and the Sea- a story of sabbath

I was reminded of one of my favorite literary works this past week while fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. I felt a little like Manolin, the young understudy to Santiago, in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Just like Santiago, the gentleman with whom I fished was a man of methodology; he has fishing down to a science. He knows exactly how to fish for certain fish, and he sticks to his plan. Hemingway's character had not caught a fish in several weeks before his epic battle with the marlin, but the old man of my experience is generally successful in his fishing endeavors. He is consistent and steady, the model of patience as he fishes. Like Santiago, his body is wearing down, but he still has a fire in his soul, a love for the sea and fishing. There is a quote from the aforementioned work, which won Hemingway the Nobel Prize in literature, that reminds me of my captain: "Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated." This description fits my fishing partner who is battling cancer yet again.



What a great day! Not only did I get the privilege of fishing with an 87 year old man who knows what he is doing but I was able to experience the bay on a hot, glorious, summer day. Those of us who live in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia are privileged to have access to some great bodies of water. From the marina in Hampton where we started the Chesapeake Bay was only minutes away, and the Atlantic Ocean was within reach as well. It was a beautiful setting for relaxation and sport; one that I probably take for granted. There was something therapeutic about fishing on the bay; perhaps the reality that no matter what I needed to be doing I wasn't going to get to it while out there was the main reason. But no matter the reason, I am convinced that I don't take advantage of opportunities to take a Sabbatical- a sabbath, a time to cease from normal activities and rest often enough. I hope that we all will learn to make time to cease from our normal activities on a regular basis. We need it- no matter how dedicated, talented, or indispensable we may feel.