Become the Greatest Through Teaching Others:
Finding Your Rewards
by Bruce Callis Jr
Walking into the grocery store, the cashier asked if I had caught any fish this weekend. Sounds odd, but when you write a weekly fishing column for the local newspaper, people tend to know what happens in your life. It’s nothing big, just a local fishing report, and I always open with what fishing I have done that week. I do it for the kids, hoping to get them outdoors, and especially into fishing.
Today, the grandmother checking out had her grandson with her. She said that he follows me through the newspaper article. I got to talk to him and find out what he is doing in his search for a big bass in the ponds he fishes. I showed him the big bass picture I submitted to the newspaper for this week’s column. And I encouraged him to be patient and keep trying, telling him some of the baits I was using. And I told him to send in a picture of himself with a catch. I reminded him that it didn’t have to be big, as they are all very important. I left him with a smile.
I retired and thought I would get to fish every day, but that’s not the truth. I wish I had known earlier in life, that if you wait until you have the time, you will miss out on so much. I love to bass fish and teaching the kids about my passion has become a huge part of who I am. The biggest thing I learned is that they can love it too, but the passion isn’t exactly the same. We can go out from the crack of dawn until it is so dark, it can be difficult to load up and then drive home. It took years for that to build in us, don’t try to rush it in them.
I am not perfect, and learning these small things has taken far longer than I wanted. But like you, I have so much knowledge I want to pass on to others. I write, something I never imagined I would do, to hopefully be able to be a difference in the lives of others. I had family that taught me and I also grew up watching Franc White and others on television. We didn’t have YouTube to go search on, or the internet to search. We had the television and magazines that we read from cover to cover, more than once during the month.
Our teachers grew older and so did we. And like everything, someone has to fulfil their role. That is us. I’m not an Elite Pro, always thought I would be, but it wasn’t in my cards. I actually thought about being a teacher. I guess that dream came true through fishing.
As much as I want to take credit for everything, I know I didn’t do it alone. The Lord Almighty led me. I was stubborn, but he didn’t give up on me. He showed me I had a voice through doing Operation Inasmuch. I had to speak to church groups about what it was and what we were doing. I still don’t like speaking in front of groups, but he showed me I could do it. And he sent a young lady to convince me to write a weekly newspaper column. It took a while, but now I love to help others through it.
And of course, he connected me with Brian and TheBassCast.com. I started off slow, but now I love doing it. I’ll never get rich doing it, but my reward isn’t measured in monetary ways. If I make a difference, if I help someone learn something new, or help them understand something about different fishing techniques, I am that much richer.
And don’t think you haven’t made a difference in my life. I have been truly blessed to meet so many of you over the years. And your kind words, even though you don’t know it, have helped me become a better person.
I challenge you like I was challenged. Go forth and be a difference in the lives of others. Share your passion patiently with the next generation. Teach them to be stewards of the land and to protect it. You are the greatest teacher they have never met, YET!
