The blind leading the blind

[Ketchn]

I have chased fish since I was a very young person . I started about 55 years ago in pursuit of these finned critters . when I was about 12 I used to grab rides with my mom when she went anywhere to get dropped off near something that had water in it.
I would hit creeks ,rivers , ponds and lakes ....maybe even a drainage ditch if it held water year round .
one day she was going into town and I knew the route she was taking and asked her if she would drop me by a bridge on the way to town and pick me up there on her way home . we pulled up and low and behold there sits a man in a lawn chair in "my" spot .
well I don't give up easy and told her oh well I will just fish beside him I guess, since the rest of the creek in both directions is to shallow to hold any fish .I eased down to the spot and started up the conversation with do you mind if I fish beside you sir ?
Well he never looked up and just said sure son . he was intently "watching" up under the bridge where he had his line . he sets the hook and pulls up a nice catfish . well he and I chat a bit and then again he hooks another fish !
well at this point I have not even got a peck and start quizzing him about his bait ,his hook ,his sinker and anything else I might get out of him to help cure my blindness on this adventure .i keep asking questions and he hooks yet another fish ! man is it starting to get to me at this point . i am thinking why cant i "see" what he is doing different than me . i don't "see" any real difference and then i notice he is "feeling" his line .i ask a few more questions and he tells me he feels the bites . i say ok and start feeling my line as well . he hooks yet another fish and this time its a bit larger and i notice how he runs his hands all over the fish ?
so of course i pull out 50 more questions and ask why is he "feeling" the fish so much ?
he chuckles and says ...son i am blind !
Well at first i think he is pulling my leg and then when he throws his presentation back under the bridge i notice he didn't "look" in the direction he casted . the bridge sits rather low to the water and i begin to think ....maybe he isn't kidding me ?
so i ask the really hard questions at this point ...like ok ...so how did you get here then ?
he says his sister dropped him and his equipment there and got him set up !
well to say the least i was more than impressed . to be a blind person and whack them fish like he was doing was just marvelous and to tip me and help me "see" how he managed this feat was even more amazing . to this day i still use some of the things that man taught me ......
and there you have it .....a true story and a wonderful memory indeed
the blind leading the blind

[SLABHOG]

That's was awesome

["D"]

Very cool story. How often do people think that handicapped people can't do normal things. Thanks for sharing.

[skeetbum]

Very good read. That probably changed the way you look at things for the rest of your life.

[BoarBuster]

Very good story. I don't think I will ever forget it.

[darcie1]

Great story, one we all would do well to remember.

[jnebgud]

[Redge]

Very nice! We all have something to learn from each other, if we are paying attention.

[hdhntr]

nice K man, you were like me, dad didn't fish but I always had the bug and would go whenever i had a chance. To learn such a lesson from him? priceless.

[Snagged again]

Wonderful story.You related what happened and your feelings about it.A growth experience for sure.Thank You Kindly