Back When…

As Tim McGraw said in a song some time back, "I miss back when."

As another season of high school fishing tournaments is coming to a close, I find myself having conversations with people around my age and entertaining thoughts in my own mind that go something like this: Man, if they’d have had these fishing tournaments when we were in school… And then fill in the blank with whatever statement that fits. For me, I know that if high school fishing had been a thing back then, I’d have been in every competition I could have possibly made. Which – if today’s rules and regulations would have been applied back then, I would have actually been able to participate in zero of the tournaments. Here’s a few reasons why.

Back when I was in school, we fished for just the pure satisfaction and fun of fishing. That was back when me and my cousin Heath would tie a canoe to the top of the car and strike out to the river for a day or even Toledo Bend for a weekend. That was back when we had one or two rods and a single tackle box with a handful of topwater plugs, maybe a crankbait and a spinnerbait, and a couple packs of worms in our favorite colors. That was back when our depth finder was a boat paddle – whenever the water was deeper than we could touch bottom, we considered that “deep water fishing!” And that was back when so little was more than enough. Fast forward to our modern day in which high school fishing has become big business, and those two boys in the canoe don’t even qualify to compete because of regulations on livewell requirements and boat insurance. As Tim McGraw said in a song some time back, “I miss back when.”

Back when I was a young married man with a passel of young ‘uns to raise up, I enjoyed those simple summer days when that same old canoe Heath and I used to take all over creation was used to haul the family and a few supplies down the Calcasieu to a beautiful white sandbar. Back when those days were the present, we would spend the day swimming, cooking over an open fire, fishing, and just hanging out and goofing off as a family. That was back when wireless communication meant doing exactly what we were doing – getting outside and enjoying one another in the great outdoors. It’s funny how when we now get together and talk about our “Back When” stories, the talk is of the river and of camping and of hunting trips. Not that I don’t enjoy the here and now, but I sure do miss “Back when.”

Maybe it’s just part of getting older. Maybe I’m getting a little wiser? (Some would argue that I am regressing in that area!) But whatever it is, I can’t help but be thankful for the way things were “Back when”. It seems like everything under the sun in our modern day has fallen victim to marketing and commercialization. I’m afraid this trend has made the Robbies and Heaths in the canoes feel second-rate. It seems as though families on the sandbar consider themselves less than others because they don’t have the camper or RV. And the boys in the local bass clubs – even when they win – can’t help but wonder what it would be like to cash checks with the likes of KVD and other pros. As this tidal wave overtakes our culture, I find myself longing for a simpler time that was more than enough back when.

I’m not sure whether the tenor of this article registers with every reader or not. For many, the warp speed of our changing society is tantalizing and adrenaline-producing. I’m not saying it’s all wrong, but I stand firm in my opinion that the big picture of most important things is being blurred out by the glitz and glitter of the new way. There is a reason that Jesus himself practiced the discipline of getting away from the crowds and just being alone with the Father (Luke 5:15-16). Every fishing trip shouldn’t be a competition. You can still catch fish from a patched up canoe. Sandbars are still awesome memory making grounds. Each one of us is a special creation of God not intended to be anyone else (Psalm 139:14). And back when time hadn’t even been invented by the Creator, He had a purpose and plan for your life. Some of the most precious moments I’ve spent with the Lord have been when I allow myself to get back to “Back when”. And I encourage you to do the same as often as you can. Then perhaps we’ll cross paths on a stream one day – each in our own patched up canoe – and take a break on a summertime sandbar and talk about “Back when”…in the Great Outdoors!