Jerry...
Good points.
Our disabilities are what we make of them !!!!
Gordy
From: jerry puckett <jerry_puckett2001@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Gordon Hill <hillshead@xxxxxxx>, Steve Schmidt <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: practicing with two hands
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 09:27:35 -0800 (PST)
Gordy, the sun swept away the cold clouds for a day bringing teasing warmth and blue skies in Salt Lake City. It brought out the hibernating life like ants and people shaking off the frozen winter rust. Time to cast!I was practicing my 400 foot cast with an 80 foot curve to left and an 80 foot curve back to the right, what I call the Jolly Green Gaint Wiggle Cast, when I noticed a car slow and pull in the parking lot, stop, shut down. His right arm in a full length cast this young man emerged slowly from his car and started painstakingly assembling his brand new Scott rod.So here we are two strangers side by side casting without speaking but knowing that our hearts were tuned this day to the same passion. Well by now you know me and how impossible it is for me to keep my mouth shut, so I ask what happened to his right arm--tendon severed at the elbow, sewn up and in a protective cast. His arm looked like a big old tree limb hanging by his side swinging in the breeze. This didn't stop this young man, time to go non-dominate hand, the smell of fishing days strong!We talked about learning to cast and he said, yea Steve Schmidt at Western Rivers told me I should always practice with both hands! I could sense some regret that he had not followed up on this advise so I simple said, "this is a blessing in disguise for you, by the time your right arm heals you will be able to cast very well left handed" and then offered small suggestions if he wanted them. He was very open so we made real progress, his right side knew what to do and was trying to get his left side to cooperate! That was his advantage and he was starting to cast really nice loops out to fish catching distance. I don't think this young man knew the meaning of excuses!We both cast left handed together as we talked and learned, so I think you see my point--I am going to spend more time learning to cast left handed, a great aid in teaching injured right handed and dominant left handed people. When I really need to feel humble I go to the left hand double haul! I plan on a good dose of it today.How one cannot love the challenges of teaching is a mystery to me!Just thought I would share! Thanks Jerry