But oh no, with three tables full of people, and maybe 30 or more in attendance, Jimmy has a seat right next to me. I was going to have a meal with one of my long time fishing idols sitting right next to me. How cool is that.
Wow, what the heck was I gonna say. But when all was said and done, there's not a more down to earth person than Jimmy Houston. He started off the dinner by saying a prayer. It was a long wonderful prayer, and it all rolled ever so smoothly off his tongue. You could just tell he’d done this many times before.
From there, the conversation never stopped. It wasn't just him talking. He listened as well. What’s even more amazing is he taught me something about my very own iPhone that I did not know. I thought I was the computer geek! I learned a little something technical from the Jimmy Houston the fishing legend himself.
He taught me how to crop photos, not using an app, but just a regular iPhone feature. You zoom in on a picture just how you want it cropped, then hit the power button and the front round button at the same time. And there you go, you automatically get a new picture in your photo album. It does not modify the original.
Funny thing is, this also explains how I got random "screen shot" pictures in my photo album. I probably hit that combo of buttons accidentally and ended up with those weird shots.
Anyway, here's a story I give Jimmy a ton of credit for, and it wasn't even Jimmy that told the story. Across the table from us was a young gentleman by the name of Teeg Stouffer. He is the Executive Director of Recycled Fish (www.RecycledFish.org). Teeg told us a story of when he was just a young boy in school. His class received an assignment to write about an adult icon they loved and respected. Whomever that idol was they were to also write a letter to that person. Well, Teeg loved fishing and decided Jimmy Houston would be the person he chose to write about.
So Teeg wrote Jimmy a letter and to his surprise, Jimmy actually wrote him back. When all was said and done, it turns out Teeg was the only one in that classroom who received a response from their chosen idol. I have to give Jimmy credit for taking the time to write back to that little boy. Had it not been for him, Teeg very likely would not be in the fishing conservation business helping out our industry and our fisheries. And who knows, Teeg might not even had passed that class were it not for his fishing idol, Jimmy Houston.
Thank you so much Jimmy for the entertainment, passion and commitment you have provided us over all these years. It was a true honor to break bread with you last week. Maybe we can wet a net together some day.
Jimmy also signed the sleeve of the shirt I was wearing that day.
www.RecycledFish.org is an organization which encourages environmental stewardship both on and off the water. They hold dear many of the same values we do here on Crappie.com, so be sure to check out their website.
I also want to thank TJ Stallings for inviting me to attend events like this. Without his consistent encouragement, I likely would not have gone to the 2012 ICAST or met so many wonderful people. Road Runners have been catching Crappie since 1958 and TTI Blakemore is a wonderful sponsor of Crappie.com.
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