You could mope, looking out at the empty boat slips this winter. Or you could shake off the funk and play in the snow.
Do you remember the very first time you were on a boat—that pure joy you felt?
I can remember zipping around the Bay on a Jet-Ski, sitting in front of my dad, with my little hands reaching for the throttle, and his fingers underneath to make sure I didn’t throw us both off. There was such pure joy in those moments. The joy of throwing my hands in the air and screaming with glee at the top of my lungs. Years later, I remember the first time I was allowed to go out solo on our family’s little runabout. My dad waving me off, waiting anxiously at the pier. The exhilaration I felt slowly rounding the bend and losing sight of my house. That feeling of freedom. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
As adults, many of us have lost the ability to allow ourselves moments of pure joy, without caring what we look like or who might be watching.
When I sat down to write this, the early January snow had almost melted. It was a surprise snow in a way, as many of us were enjoying temperatures in the high 50s the day before. It was almost balmy; springlike. And then the next day, some spots in our region got over a foot of snow. And then a few days later... more snow. And understandably, that brought a lot of grumbling.
But what if instead of complaining, we try to find those moments of joy. Now, I don’t mean to say that a fresh snowfall is anywhere near as exciting as your first time on a boat. But sometimes, by allowing yourself to have a moment of pure, unadulterated fun, it really can change your outlook on other things.
If you need an example, just look to kids and puppies. Who has more fun than children playing in the snow, or puppies seeing snow for the first time? I’m going to pick on FishTalk editor Lenny Rudow here, but even Lenny, who characterizes a ‘good’ day as a day he can go fishing and all others as subpar, couldn’t help but smile seeing his dog run and jump through the snow like a puppy again.
Sure, it’s cold. And yes, it will be months before most of us will be out on the Bay again. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find moments of joy this winter. Whether it’s the snow, spending hours getting lost in a really good book, attending a boat show or fishing expo, the fact that it might (hopefully) soon be cold enough to go ice fishing, or sitting down and planning a bucket list trip. If you need some inspiration on that last one, check out From Small Steps to the Great Loop to read how one couple went from simply dreaming about the Great Loop to actually buying a boat and making it happen.
By Kaylie Jasinski