There's a few people you'll run into in this world that you simply won't forget. You may not remember their name, but you'll remember the person. When I was 15, I worked at a video store. I needed some cash to buy dinner from the grocery store next door but I didn't have any. So, I walked the 1/4 mile to the bank to get cash. When I got there, it started to pour. I was waiting at the door for it to let up since I didn't bring my coat and I didn't want my work shirt to get soaked. The guy who stopped just after me to get cash saw my dilema and offered me a ride back to the video store. Normally, I wouldn't advocate somebody getting a ride from a stranger but he looked like an okay person. So, he dropped me off and I offered to pay him for his help. He simply told me to do something nice for somebody else some day. I don't remember his name, but I won't forget him.
On Saturday, Evan and I met another person we'll never forget. Evan wanted to go fishing. So, we grabbed his 35 year old Mickey Mouse fishing rods (which used to be Greg and Denise's), our poorly equipped tackle box, some really old nightcrawlers (a poor bait chose for winter I later found out), and a borrowed hand auger. We headed down the dock and over to a fishing hole that we know usually has people. I start trying to drill a hole with the hand auger. After 10 minutes of work and only making it 6" through 14" of ice, a gentleman walked up and offered to use his power auger to drill us some holes. Honestly, it wasn't hard to take him up on his offer. I wasn't getting anywhere with the dull blades on the borrowed auger. Then, he took a look at our fishing pole and poor bait choice. He headed back over to his icehouse and came back with his tackle box. He put on a colorful jig and gave us some of his bait (larvae like wax worms). Then, he asked Evan if he had a depth finder. Evan said no. So, he got out a metal weight from his tackle box and put it on Evan's hook. Then, he showed Evan how to drop it down the hole to check the depth and adjust the bobber to ensure the bait wasn't going to be sitting on the bottom. Then, he showed Evan how to properly bait the hook and put it down the hole. Evan had nibbles instantly. A few minutes later, he came back to check on us. He also brought pop and cookies. Although Evan politely declined the pop he didn't hesitate to accept the cookies followed by a thank you. Soon Evan's nibbles turned into bites and he caught his first fish while on the ice.
A few minutes later, Wayne came back with two brats, a bottle of ketchup, and a bottle of mustard. Not only were we having a blast catching a total of 3 fish but also enjoying a meal with a new friend.
At least this time, I didn't forget the kind man's name. His name is Wayne and if you run into him fishing out on Seaton Lake, say hi to him for us.
Wayne - I hope our paths cross again. Please trust that Evan and I will pay it forward and thank you again for providing us some much needed help!
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