Every now and then I really wonder why I do this at all. I do enjoy the writing and getting to interact with everyone that we do. But it’s a lot of work and stress sometimes. There’s a lot of days when I just sit here and stare at the blank page and wonder what the hell to say that might actually matter a damn to somebody. It’s harder than most people think to sit down and come up with something to say on a regular basis that is at least somewhat fresh and entertaining.
Brantley and I had more than one conversation about this over the course of the summer. At one point, and I believe it was during a float on the Mo, he turned to me and said something along the lines of “You do it because you make people happy. At the end of the day that’s what matters.” I don’t remember the exact quote as there was some gin involved by that point in the day, but you get the gist of it.
I got a phone call the other day at the shop from a friend of Brantley’s who has been reading Chi Wulff for some time now. This gentleman, let’s call him CR, is a retired Navy SEAL who spends quite a bit of time overseas. I had the privilege of meeting him once. During the course of our call, he told me how much reading the blog makes him think of home when he’s gone. That right there makes it all worth while.
A fly fishing blog is an interesting outlet. Sure, we write about fly fishing, conservation issues, gear, and other industry news. But it’s more than that. Years ago a regular customer of mine who was significantly older and wiser than I was told me something I’ll never forget: “I don’t tell stories. I share pieces of myself”. And that’s exactly what happens. You read back over the years and you can get the story of all of us here. The ups, downs, twists and turns. Kind of an interesting deal for a more private person like myself.
Any project or job has its ups and downs, but if you can find one that’s worth sticking with you can power through the doubts. In the end, for me anyway, it comes down to the people reading this. If we can make someone’s day a little bit better then it’s worth writing. If someone can look over the pictures, posts, and videos and think of home while they’re gone, then it’s worth it. We’ve been at this for almost 8 years, which is a long time when you think about it.
Thanks for making it worth while.
