Five Ways That Adulthood Really is Just a Fish Tale
If you’ve been fishing and if you’ve been in your early twenties, then you might appreciate today’s connection about adulthood. Last summer was a big deal for the oldest kids in our family—new jobs, new homes, birthdays, and a wedding all mean our twenty-somethings are official adults. To commemorate all this growing up, here are five ways that fishing is just like being under thirty.
1. Adulthood means you’ve just got to stick your hand in the worm container if you’re going to bait your hook.
It’s kind of nasty, particularly if it’s a bucket of fat bloodworms. Whether you’re trying to bait your hook or make a huge life decision, you have to eventually stop considering your options and get your hands dirty. You have to eat, right?
2. Once you cast your hook, you have to wait.
You can’t rush the fish; they’ll bite when they’re ready. You can’t rush job offers, promotions, relationships, home closings, or your ramen noodles in the microwave either. They’ll all come when the time is right. Sit tight and take in the scenery where you are.
3. Despite your best intentions, you occasionally hook yourself in the hand.
Few things are more miserable than trying to pull a barbed hook out 3. of your skin. You’ll survive—you may cuss like a sailor, but you’ll make it. When relationships fail, loved ones pass on, your first job ends, or a really cool opportunity goes to someone else, the barbs rip your guts a little. Welcome to real life. You can swear, cry, or punch a wall, as long as you know how to spackle so you can get the deposit back on your rental. The sooner you take the hook out of your heart and move on, though, the less likely it is that a paralyzing infection will set in.
4. Adulthood is just a fish story.
Ever since you were a kid, you’ve had yourself convinced that adulthood was cooler than the two-story whale your Uncle Skippy swore he landed single-handedly in his twelve foot skiff in the middle of a 50-knot gale. Oh, how you’ll love telling your rule-proclaiming parents to stick it and finally get your own place. You can come and go when you want, buy what you want, blast Lil’ Wayne until the rafters shake, and, for the love of all that’s holy, stop all that flossing nonsense. It’s all fun and games until the light bill comes and all your teeth fall out, though.
5. You finally reel in a big one!
After all the worms, baiting, waiting, and bleeding, you find yourself walking down the aisle to marry the person of the dreams. You get the call offering you the job you’ve always wanted. You hold your baby for the first time. Your realtor hands you the keys to your first little house. You get a really cool dog. Your ramen noodles don’t stick to the pan. Landing a “big fish,” regardless of size or magnitude, feels pretty sweet. Experience will tell you your parents weren’t wrong when they told you that adulthood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, you might be realizing that your parents weren’t wrong about a lot of that cheeseball crap they told you all those years. But like the rest of us old people who’ve walked the road before you, you’ll find that, despite the bumps, worms, and hooks, you’re really rocking this adulthood thing!
Love this metaphor, Jennifer! Especially #2. So many of us feel like we need to see immediate progress in our careers from a short amount of hard work. Often, it takes a lot longer than that. Great post! 🙂
Thank you so much for visiting! Immediate gratification doesn’t always occur, does it?
I lobe this article. My dad used to take me fishing all the time. I never did like it to be honest i hated it. Never saw the point of waiting around for hours fir a stupid fish. He always told me someday you will learn from this. And he was right it has taught me patience and gratitude and for tge first time in five years we have a fishing trip planned this summet. Thanks fir tge great article!!
I’m so glad you stopped by! That fishing trip will be a great memory and time well spent for both of you, fish or not! Thanks for commenting!
Good analogy! Haha! You hit #4 right on the nose! Fun post!
Haha! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Well I know much about fishing but I still can understand what you are saying. Life is sometimes really funny and a bit painful, but you learn your lesson. Which reminds me I get my first fishing lesson from my boyfriend soon and then I will re-read your article. Hope no hooks through my skin though!
Thank you so much for visiting! I wish you well on your fishing trip. It’s so fun and relaxing!
I like this analogy, sometimes we all hook our own hand, and it takes some guts to cast back out and try again xx
Sophia x http://sophiawhitham.co.uk
I’ve hooked my hand several times. It does take guts to keep trying. Sometimes you have to let your wounds heal a bit, though. Thanks for visiting!!
That was so wonderful to read! I love the comparison and I am going to be quoting you!
Oh, thank you so much! That makes my day!
Great analogy! And spot on! It’s exciting when life starts shaping into what you have worked so hard for and you see the pay off! I am looking forward to a future post of the years 30 to 40 😉
That’s an idea…30s-40s post! Thanks for that. I have lots to think about!! I’m glad your life and dreams are going well! Thanks for stopping by.
You explained adulthood in such a different way but such a good one! It shows that your not an adult by age but by what you do, how you behave and how you handle life, I guess.
Thanks for such a good read.
Lea, xx
Thanks so much. You’re right-adulthood is much, much more than just an age! Glad you stopped in today!