How To Teach a Man to Fish
How To Teach a Man to Fish
A successful fishing trip with Yuri Sr. and my favorite fishing story
Comrades: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Growing up, some of my happiest memories were when Yuri Sr. took us fishing. It is the simplest form of fun. I have never been able to sit still, but it teaches patience and zen out in nature. Last weekend, we went to a local lake to fish together for the first time in a long time. All the fellow fisherman there were friendly and came from all walks of life. Happy to report we caught several beautiful rainbow trout that Baby Yulia was able to savor for the first time.
Podcast with Yuri Sr about his journey from CCP struggle sessions to freedom:
My favorite fishing story:
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while”. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I drink cervesas with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”
“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”
“Millions – then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could drink cervesas with your amigos.”
What are your favorite fishing stories?
Perfect vignette that humorously highlights the follies of consumerism. How many ruin their lives (and their families) climbing the corporate ladder chasing “success”?
Love this, Yuri! So the lake you recently went to go fishing with Yuri, Sr. --- was it a new lake for both of you, or had you been fishing together there before.
I know you said it had been a long time, but I’m not sure if you meant it had been awhile since fishing with your dad, in general, or a long time since going to THAT lake.
Haha I know it’s not really important, but I like clarity. BTW, you have such a handsome face! 😂😉😂
I loved fishing with my dad when I was a young girl. He took my brothers out too when they were younger, but probably (maybe?) not my older sister. I’m MUCH younger than my siblings as my closest in age brother is 9 years older. Anyway, we went out for catfish. Daddy promised me I would catch one and I totally believed him. So time kept passing and no fish. Finally, he caught one, but still none for me.
Then...suddenly, a fish tugged my pole (I was using one that belonged to my brother when he was little) and I was so excited! Dad coached me about how to reel it in. It felt like a HUGE fish! But...it was a cute little sunfish, so we threw him back in. But he was right. I DID catch one. Mom made delicious fried catfish nuggets for us that night. I can almost smell it now along with her famous steamed broccoli with lemon and almonds.