WHY do I do this when I don’t always feel like it??
I don’t like to talk a lot about religion on social media, but I’ll share my story of faith with you anytime you’d like to hear it, but whether we admit it or not, WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE!!! We may never even know what that purpose is while we’re here on earth but WE DO have a purpose. This past weekend, I heard a 31 year Veteran angler make a comment that made me tear up and tugged at my heart but I believe she witnessed her AHA moment, her one purpose and it was, maybe not life changing but it did make her realize why she’s made the sacrifices, gone fishing when her body ached, continued on when she just didn’t want to.
I’ve watched Secret York for the past several years, love her personality, her sense of humor, her tenacity and just admire her as a human being overall. I’ve watched her limping so bad she could barely walk with aching bones, swollen ankles, shoulder surgery and hurt knees. She’s pretty hilarious and will dub you with a nickname if you give her half an opportunity. She’s ALSO, one of the founders of the Lady Bass Anglers Association along with Cheryl Bowden and only last year, gave up the front of the boat….and the pressure, and took on the role of co-angler.
If you’re around her, you’d never guess that she’s self admittedly 61 years old and over 30+ years fishing experience. But this past week, she was randomly drawn as a co-angler with an accomplished 18 year old rookie in our Women’s Pro Bass Tour stop #2 on Bull Shoals Lake.
Chloe Barnum, is an 18 year old Senior from Ava, Missouri and an accomplished angler in the area and fishes with her dad and boyfriend regularly on Bull Shoals Lake. Secret admitted that she was reluctant with the idea of fishing with an 18 year old controlling a very fast boat, but I do know, she’s definitely not afraid to take on a challenge.
With Chloe fishing a completely different style and advanced technology techniques, Secret adapted but was amazed and impressed with Chloe’s “rookie” abilities and realized that all those days and years of sacrifices, stress on her mind and body, aches and pains was all for the purpose of that young angler standing on that front deck right in front of her. She got up early in the morning after staying up late packing clothes, tackle and fishing gear, traveling hours away from home and her family. She climbed up in her boat barely able to walk and endured 8+ hours of pain. She dealt with the stress of planning and coordinating tournaments for ladies to fish. She left her husband, children and grand children for sometimes weeks at a time…..FOR ONE PURPOSE!!!! Hearing Secret blatantly tell her that she bet no one had ever given her the credit she deserves gave me chills. How many of us have thought that we were no good or not skilled enough because no one gave us the credit we deserved??
So the Chloe Barnums, and Karlee Prevetts and all the future young ladies would have a place to “get their feet wet,” build and gain confidence in a comfortable environment. The emotion in her voice when she talked about this tugged at my heart and made me even more thankful for the Secret Yorks, the Pam Martin Wells’, the Cheryl Bowdens, the Kim Bain Moores, the Beverly Yamamotos and countless other WOMEN in the fishing industry that have made sacrifices so that I, too, could have an opportunity to do something that I love and enjoy without the judgement and with a sisterhood that will last a lifetime.