Journal #4

Earliest Memory

When I was a little girl, before my parents divorced, when we would go camping during the summer time or rent cabins. There was this one place we use to go called Turtle Lake. I dont even remember where it was, my parents do Im sure but I cant remember. I was probably about four years old on this particular trip and there was some fishing involved. Some of this memory comes from what I was told and some of it is from my own. My Mom, Dad, older brother and myself were fishing on a bridge over a river. My parents had given me a fishing pole with some bait on it more or less just to humor me and keep me occupied. Well, all of the sudden I got a bite....a BIG one! Before I knew my Dad was behind me trying to help reel the fish in before it pulled me over. Then the line snapped and I lost it. What had happened I was later told was I had caught a little fish and that a big muskie or some sort of large fish had decided to eat my fish. I had both of them on the line but the big fish was stronger than me and my fishing line and it got away. But it was quite exciting and I loved hearing the story over and over again.

I don't have a picture from this particular moment in time. I'm sure there are some pitcutres from the trip but none involving the fish. In some ways I wish I did have a picture of the event because it was so exciting and I dont remember it in great detail because I was so young. On the other hand I'm glad I don't because the picture I have in my head is clear. Sometimes having a picture of something is like seeing the movie after reading the book. It spoils it in some way. The memory isnt as great as you remembered. Pictures are great for some things but for others whats in your mind is even better.