Fishing for Something better from life

Aren't we all really...

Wow, it's been a crazy few years hasn't it. Most of us have dealt with things we only would have imagined in movies or books. These things didn't seem possible only a short time ago. And the crazy continues with the price of everything exploding around us, it seems more and more each day. We all have suffered in one way or another, some people much more than most. I think we all know at least one person, maybe not well, but at least through friends or family that has passed away from Covid, or other ailments brought on by Covid. We watch television or read on the internet about wars, or rumors of war now almost daily. We witness crime and destruction in our towns and cities like not seen in a very long time. All of this and the reporting of it badgering us endlessly can make anyone lose hope, lose sleep, and eventually fall into a much-wanted shell of depression. We are like little children, pulling the covers of our bed over our heads, scared of the boogeyman whose going to get us. That's where I begin my story, and maybe my mission or is it a calling of sorts, not sure, anyways here goes.

First off, I should start by telling you that I am a published author. I've written two books now, Fishing for Something and The Rosey View of the World. Fishing for Something has been out for awhile. My new book, The Rosey View of the World is being shopped as we speak to agents across the country. The latter novel will be for sale soon and I am very excited to see what people think of it. My first offering, Fishing for Something is a story based on many real events from my life although it is a fictional tale. If you have not read it yet, I encourage you to take a look at it. It's a fun, breezy story with much adventure that is hard to put down. Underneath the entertaining story is more serious and profound issues, the ones we as humans all deal with. Fishing for Something is really about relationships and how they scar us and change us for good or bad. In the book, the Barrett brothers are forced to slam face-first against both past and present relationships that shaped them in ways that have mostly hurt their lives. The biggest one is the relationship with their father who abandoned them and his wife when they were still kids. The hate they feel for him must be resolved, one way or another, as it taints every other relationship in their lives.

As I said, much of this story comes from real events I or close family members have lived. My own father abandoned our family when I was young, leaving my mother, older brother and myself to fend for ourselves. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was two days before my eleventh birthday. I watched as he packed his car with all his things. When he was done he met me on the front porch of our house wished me a good birthday, and then handed me a twenty dollar bill. He promised to call for us when he got settled on the East coast, I never saw him again. I was both relieved he left because of his fighting with my mother and yet sad he was gone. Such is life unfortunately, when I was kid we all wished for families like we saw on television, you know like the Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family, maybe the Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie, how about the Walton's, they were so nice to each other, remember how they all said goodnight to every family member. Sadly, real life is not television, even so-called reality television isn't truly real. No, life is much harder and more complicated than all that. Fast-forward twelve years later from that infamous day my father left and I am now a husband and father myself, determined to not make the same mistakes my dad made. But funny thing, I did do a lot of the same stupid things my dear old dad did. Probably, a lot of the same things you did as a parent and spouse if your reading this. Now, thirty years later, struggling to be a better husband and father, trying my best to be more self-aware of what I say, how I say it and the way I act, I've come to realize some things, important things. First, and foremost, sleeping with someone is easy, living with someone is hard. Our culture sings about and makes movies and books about, at nausea the act of sleeping with someone. Of course, when I say sleeping I don't mean sleeping, I think you get my drift. But little is ever discussed or mentioned, or glorified in film or song about the much more important relationship subject, living with another human being. In the movie, Yours, Mine, and Ours, the original film not the crappy newer Disney version, the late great actor Henry Fonda had a memorable adult exchange in the film that I wished we saw more in the movies of today. I believe he was speaking with his horny, coming-of-age teenage son in the film played by underrated actor Tim Matheson of Animal House fame. Anyhoo, Fonda, frustrated with his son, shares an important fact of life with him. It's easy to go to bed with a woman, it's getting up in the morning with one that shows the true metal of a man, or something to that fact. Fonda's characters point being living with someone through all the ups and downs of life, day in and day out, shows what kind of man or woman someone really is. In our culture we glorify and obsess on romance, 'being in love', sexual fantasy and all that, no wonder relationships rarely go the distance anymore. In real life, those topics are more like the sprinkles you put on your yogurt, they're nowhere near the substance and/or foundation of a true, strong relationship between two people.

So, next on my journey, I wondered why so many of us have missed the boat on all this 'stuff', the real stuff in life. Well, like any kind of ignorance a person has it usually starts with a lack of education on a particular subject. What I am saying is we really don't invest much energy, study, or time on the important things of life. We usually think of marriage counseling as a last resort for a broken marriage, but in reality I think most couples married or not could use a regular, scheduled dose of discussion about themselves and their relationship with those they love. I do believe in God, and I believe we were created to be social beings with him and with others. It's figuring how to do that effectively that takes us into the weeds, so to speak. We all need more information in these areas, we need to learn about ourselves, the people we love, and put an emphasis on getting better and having better and more successful lives. All of us can play a part in this positive growth. We all have our own areas of expertise and experience that can be a blessing to others. We've all made huge mistakes in life and often that is where the greatest lessons are learned if you're willing to humble yourself and examine them. I know in my life, the stupid things I have done and I have had done to me, have been a much greater teacher that most of my successes, it's funny how that works.

Finally, with all this in mind, I begin my next journey in this life. I want to help bring to light, knowledge, wisdom, and positive experiences and information to all who are interested. Around my writing schedule and more importantly my life schedule of being a husband and a father, I am launching a new, newsletter, called Fishing for Something better in life. you can sign up for it on this website, www.andrewscottbassett.com. My first newsletter will being coming out in the next three to four days, please look for it. I hope to inspire, educate, and just plain make people feel better about themselves and this crazy world we live in. You know, it's in the darkest places that flashlights shed the most light. The world is getting darker for sure, but that doesn't mean we have to be in the dark in our own lives. No, armed with love, faith, knowledge and ever-increasing wisdom, we can light up this world for others, helping ourselves at the same time. I hope to be your Life Fisherman on this journey, a fishing guide of sorts for a better tomorrow. So, please look for that new report or newsletter in the next few days and sign-up for free to receive them on a regular basis. And also come back to my website here, where I will be writing regular blogs more detailed on specific subjects than the newsletter. I look forward to connecting with my readers in the near future, and I even have plans for a future podcast entitled Fishing for Something better in life. Always remember the longest journey in life still starts with the first step one takes.

P.S. Check out my first novel, Fishing for Something on Amazon books, Barnes and Noble, and pretty much every other online bookstore in the world, I know you'll love it.

Blessings...

Your Life Fisherman and author,

Andrew Scott Bassett