Keep on keeping on.

(before anything else, this entry has two sides, either be the fish or the fisherman. i’ll elaborate on the fisherman if you dont mind. don’t worry, being the fish is just the opposite of the fisherman ;] although, there are some parts which aren’t hehe)

The biggest fish in the river gets that way by never being caught

it’s funny how I keep on coming back to this movie. (Big Fish directed by Tim Burton)

have you ever tried fishing? it’s really frustrating. under the hot sun, with your fishing rod, a bunch of worms and not to mention mosquitoes. yeah, it’s pretty relaxing if you you’re doing it for recreation, but what if you were fishing for a purpose? fishing and trying to beat a deadline? fishing for a need? fishing for a better life?

we will always try to catch the biggest fish in the water but like what was said in the movie, “the biggest fish in the river gets that way by never being caught”. hehe, sometimes we get annoyed by not getting the “big fish” that’s why we settle for the “average” sized fish. but somehow we still are not satisfied. in fact, man is never satisfied. even if we get the big fish, there’s always that little voice in your head that says it still isn’t the “biggest”. so how would we know if its the biggest? we cant. but, we can say that it’s the best. not in the whole world, but for ourselves.

so how can we say that it’s the best? i’ll start with another quote from Tim Burton’s flick:

They say, when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that’s true. What they don’t tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.

(from here on out, i’m going to refer to it (that quote above) as the *moment*)

exactly. when you catch that fish, time stops, but then, after that moment, months are just like minutes. right? when that happens, you know you’ve caught YOUR big fish.

but then, another problem arises. where is it? how would you know where to look? well, we don’t. they just do. because if you do, then that wouldnt be a big fish. why? because if you know where to find them, then they can ba caught (which contradicts the whole thing right?) just do what the fishermen do, go with your instincts, trust your gut. they’ll come.

now, then next step. catching your big fish. when you find that fish, you then need to find a way to catch them. how? back to basic fishing, in the past, fishermen only use nets, spears and bear hands. as men grew smarter,we used fishing rods. then we put worms on the hook as baits for a more effective catch. and now, different “lures”, that imitate small fish and other animals underwater, to catch different types of fish. great. now you’re set to catch that fish. ( for the fishes, get ready to be caught. fishermen have different methods of catching their fish, and different styles apply for different fishes, so if it doesnt work for you, then it isnt your bait to bite on, but hey, nobody’s stopping you to give it a second shot right? :] )

just as i said, different baits, different styles, different fish. it all depends on you on what kind of fish you want to catch. but one word of caution, if you’re not comfortable on that method or style, or you’re not into that kind of bait, don’t beat yourself up on trying to go for that fish because even if you do, you wont get that *moment* . this is where most mistakes happen. being uncomfortable just to get that fish is not worth it.trust me. sooner or later you’d end up putting it back in the water with a broken lip (from the hook) and your hook wont be as good as it used to be because it’s used. the good thing is, you’ve gained experience. although, getting it the first time would be great. Remember this: you should always be comfortable in everything you do. never ever force yourself in something awkward and uncomfortable. trust me, it wont be worth it. always be yourself. always. (at this point most of you will ask, isnt waiting for the fish to bite uncomfortable? well that’s another thing. lahat dadaan doon.)

then comes the most important part of catching the big fish. waiting. this is inevitable. and will be variable to everyone. it could happen right away or could happen after a lifetime (hehe, no really!) either way, it will come. i am a hundred and ten percent sure. of course, there will come a point that the fisherman will get tired of waiting and will settle for the easiest catch. although this will bring satisfaction, this satisfaction is temporary. why? well, it wasn’t that hard to catch in the first place. to further elaborate in tagalog, hindi mo masyadong pinaghirapan eh, hindi ba kapag pinaghirapan mo, masmamahalin mo? it’s like buying something with the money you EARNED. okay back to waiting, here’s another tip for the fisherman and the fish, (thanks to izza on this one) never ever expect. (i wont elaborate on this one because, it will just take me all day to argue on this one) just remember not to expect because, when it comes, it might just let you down. okay? great.

please, never ever get tired and settle for anything less (less refering to going for the fish without the *moment* ) (i cant elaborate enough on this, you understand naman dont you? if not, just drop me a line, i’ll be glad to elucidate on it for you, verbally that is, hirap magtype eh. hehe)

i’m almost done.

just don’t forget the waiting part okay? (see? i told you i can’t stress it enough)

So, when that time comes,when that *moment* happens, be ready, because it wont be smooth sailing just yet. this fish is in the water, but how would you catch it? “the biggest fish in the river gets that way by never being caught” again, you have to be smarter or do your best to get it. from what I know, that *moment* only comes once in your life. i am not saying this based from experience because i still got a lot ahead of me, but from what I know it only comes ONCE.

(in some rare cases, both parties have that bizzarre moment wherein everything just seems to fit in place. such that, the fisherman can literally hold the fish without and splashes or struggling. i cant explain how it happens, it just does.)

please, never ever let it go. please never ever let it get away. this is the MOST important part of fishing. because if you do, you’re going to spend a lifetime regretting it. DO EVERYTHING BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY TO DO SO. and when you finally (yup, it will not be easy. it never is) DO catch it, and never let it go. =)