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It is about the right woman ... in my early to mid 20s, I dated a woman who I thought was "the one," but she used to say (or whine) to me that there was not enough room in my heart for her and fishing ... we talked about it and eventually agreed to part ways ... should I have compromised more ... possibly, but her attitude was all or nothing, at anytime of day ... so it was pretty constrictive ...
... while there were a string of women between that earlier woman and the woman who mothered my daughter ... now my ex ... when we connected, ... at the beginning she encouraged me to go fishing and enjoy myself ... it was an excellent relationship and one that I had not had much experience with ... she would let me sleep in, make me breakfast and coffee in bed, give me a massage ... so I was on top of the world ... but I was also somewhat selfish and immature ... and things started to change ... no longer did she let me sleep in after a long night of fishing and make me breakfast and coffee ... I had to be up at 6 or 7 to help with our little girl, and things around the house, she would call me while on trips such as at Cutty or one of the Tri-State tournaments ... and there was always some kind of emergency ... yet, when I rushed home, there was no issue ... so when she said she wanted to fly, I asked her what airline (I was upset and pissed) but my relationship with my daughter is a thousand times better than it was when we were a whole family ...
... and today, I always defer to my daughter over fishing, as the time with her is far superior ... regardless of how much I love to fish, I'd rather be awake and present for my daughter during the day (and it's hard to go fishing when she is asleep and no one else is home - so it's not an option or a consideration) ... as when I fish all night, and don't sleep during the day, I am a zombie, held up by coffee and I am not serving my daughter's best interest ... so I always select quality time with her over fishing ... I think TDF helped to school me in that philosophy somewhat, and it has been on target for me.
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