This is the time of year when a lot of folks sit down and think about New Year’s resolutions. If you put some thought into the process, it can really be worthwhile.
Stop and take inventory of yourself and pay special attention to things you haven’t done. When most people look back on their lives, they regret not the things they’ve done, but rather the things they haven’t done. The recent film, “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, is a pretty good example.
Ask yourself: “What things in the outdoors haven’t I done?” Maybe you keep promising yourself that one of these days you’re going to go fishing in Alaska. Hey! You’re not getting any younger. Do it! Perhaps you keep thinking that you’re going to take your family on a white-water raft trip. Book it now!
Think back on the truly memorable times in your life, and resolve that this year you’re going to do more of them.
Remember the time you rented a houseboat on the Delta and fished and swam all day and played cards and partied all night? Book a houseboat at Lake Powell, or Shasta Lake. Heck, go whole hog and book a sailboat in the Caribbean! Life is too short not to experience it.
Your new outdoor adventures don’t all have to be expensive trips to exotic locations. You can resolve to go catfishing more often with an old friend. Do it now, while you’re both still alive. I used to swear I was going hunt more quail with Coach Poletti, but he’s gone now and I’ll never see him nail two quail with one shot again.
Take your kids or your grandkids out to a local creek and catch crawdads. They’ll get wet and muddy and have a great time, and they’ll never forget it.
This year, I’m going to backpack one more time into the wilderness with my son in search of the world’s rarest trout. We may not catch ’em, but we’re sure gonna try. I suppose I could have a coronary out there in the wilds, but what the heck? At least I’d go out doing something I love.
As far as I know, we only go through this life once. Before you finish, make sure that it’s a worthwhile trip. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors while you can!
Until next week, tight lines.
• Don Moyer is president and CEO of a consulting firm and has more than 20 years’ experience working with the outdoor recreation community, including anglers, hunters, backpackers, environmental groups and the public. He can be reached at don.moyer@gmail.com.
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