Life On The Fly

 
    I've known for some time that I was not entirely the same as everyone else. Growing up in East Tennessee I never felt that I was on the same path as those around me. I never really understood it, nor did I give it much mind in those days. As a younger man I was more concerned with finding a place where I fit in. I moved between many social groups, never really finding one that kept my attention and interest for long. I tend to get bored with things easily. I pick up a new hobby, and dig into it learning as much as I can until something new sparks my interest. Some would say I have ADHD or whatever they are calling it now. I say I am blessed with a brain like a nuclear powerplant and a supercomputer had a love child. It is a little much to handle at times, but I roll with it.
    After living nearly entirely out of my truck for the last two years, I have confirmed my suspicions that I am not cut of the same cloth as today's average Homo sapiens. I tend to think of the world in an Ecological perspective, while still recognizing the uniqueness of the human experience. My background in Biology and Chemistry have given me the tools to develop a great understanding of how the world around me operates. However, I find that in science the scope of life can become so micro-focused that some of the bigger picture can be lost. I aim to strike a balance in life, in all its delicate facets. This balance is hard to recognize, but it does exist. Of that I have no doubt. A simple walk in the forest can quickly remind you of this often forgotten knowledge.

    So what does it mean to live life "on the fly"? I imagine this term  has different connotations depending on who is reading this, and probably none at all to others. To me, it represents a way of life. The most obvious reference is that of catching a fish using fly tackle, as this blog is mostly concerned with my fly fishing shenanigans. However, as I'm sure some of my readers are very aware, this term also has significant importance in the restaurant world.
    During my time working as a chef in the fine dining industry I learned many invaluable lessons about life. One of them that resonates more than any other is "adapt or die." In the restaurant world, you never know what the day will throw at you. It requires a level of awareness and ability to remain cool  in the most stressful conditions short of combat. When you have to make something happen in an amount of time that is completely unrealistic you say you need it "on the fly!!" And you find a way to make it happen. You don't always know how, but you do.
 

    After learning first hand the importance of adaptability, it was enlightening to learn more about the way evolution works when I left the restaurant business to finish my Biology degree. My combined experiences and knowledge  have led me to a point in my life where I have begun to ask myself, "What am I really doing with my time on Earth?" I hope we all ask ourselves that now and then, it's good practice to revisit your purpose fairly frequently. Life has a way of detouring you, whether you like it or not.
   What traveling has taught me is that there are many different ways to live. I don't think any one is better than the other, the important thing is that you are truly living. What do I mean by that? Our society has taken a strange turn. There are many traps designed to make us feel satisfied, pleasure button stimulators which satisfy our desire for life for a while. It is difficult in today's world to wade through all the complexities of modern civilization and still keep focus on the few things we need to be truly happy.
 


 

  So should everyone quit their job and become a fishing gypsy? Definitely not. The lifestyle I live suits me, for now. That will not last for ever. People are dynamic. To survive in a world that is changing faster than history has ever seen, you have to be able to adapt to change. That is the name of the game right? To evolve and be the most fit to survive as the environment changes, whatever those changes may be. In a complex world, it seems to  me the answer is return to simplicity. Living simply, within our means and letting go of our more, more, more culture. If we are to truly evolve as a species there needs to be a shift in value to things that really matter like maintaining the condition of our home planet. Things like community, and living sustainably.
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    So although this blog is focused on fishing, it is really about life. I hope to share my experiences and way of living because I know we can't all pack our shit and hit the highway, but hopefully I can offer some of the wisdom of  the road to everyone that has access to a computer and the internet. So stay tuned for more adventures and follies, because there are many ahead and to be retold as well.
    My handsome dog model/pack mule Clyde and I have made our way back to the Heartland of East Tennessee to visit my home in the Smoky Mountains and hit some of the best fly fishing waters in the Eastern United States. Wild trout, smallmouth, and hopefully walleye and sauger are in my sights and flows are good after a wet and snowy winter. Keep your hooks sharp until the next installment.