Feature Story

It was just another one of those summer weekends for me with the weather acting up great as expected knowing the day could not have been any better. And yes!! Racing in my mind was the thoughts of another fishing trip that had yet to come, but I knew today was the perfect day. Hearing my father in another room shouting to me to pack up and let’s head out made me rush out with a heartbeat. And then we were on our way. Finally getting to the designated location, I smelt glory upon plenty of battles waiting to be fought. But there was one problem; I was still new to this fishing game. As the beautiful day progressed, I knew I was going to be skunked as in other words fishless. Throughout sometime of fishing, no fish has yet to see land or be reeled in. The darkness hits the far end of the lake along with silence and no signs of activity. But that is no factor for my father as he whispered to me “that is just the way things are suppose to be.” My father has never left empty handed and never would. But for me, I had plenty to learn. Yet, fishing has become a favorite hobby for many. As for the Ja Lee family, it has been running in their blood since being passed down by Ja.

Growing up fishing with my father was a once in a lifetime experience for me. I never knew how really important he was in my life until he was gone. Just like that, he passed away from lung cancer after a hard fought battle. This was a disaster that plagued the family since then and forever will. That’s why the time that I got to spend with my father was a blessing. His death did not only impact me, but it did for my whole family. My family had the chance to get to know him and share one of his favorite hobbies with him.

From fishing, my brothers and I had the chance to experience the nature with our father. According to Jim Lee,” I was about 6 years old when I first began to fish.” At an early age, I am sure our father wanted to teach us everything he knew about the sport and hope in the future we could share it with our children just like the way he shared it with us. And so, we kept the sport going ever since being introduced because fishing has become a favorite hobby of ours and is a great way to remember our father.

Having fishing as a hobby growing up, the past can bring back many good memories. Just remembering the good old times can bring cheerful tears to your eyes. Like what my brother Kao says," I have so many memories that I have a hard time trying to keep a straight face, but it is never a bad thing to remember the fun times." Even though our father Ja Lee is gone, remembering the fun fishing trips in the past can help cope with the loss. Even though many memories are left in the past, a ton are created in the future. According to Pong Lee,” I look forward to fishing this summer and hopefully it will be a fun year.”

Not only did the death of our father change our lives, but fishing also did too. Fishing can change the way everyone interact with nature. Sometimes people tend to overlook and take nature for granted. You have to look at it as if you depended on it because without nature, nothing would exist. Seeing the shine upon the water on a nice sunny day just shows you how beautiful life really is. According to Kou Lee,” Fishing is something peaceful to do. Whether you’re with family or friends, you always get that alone time with yourself. It is calming.”

I got to admit, fishing does not seem as easy as it looks. But from my perspective, learning how to do something takes time. My father brought the sport of fishing into my life and it has been my favorite hobby since. I now go fishing without my father knowing that he is in a better place right now than he was before struggling with cancer. Though he is gone, the memories help bring back what is lost. On the regular summer weekends, I know my father will always be by my side fishing with me in spirit.