The Wealth of Friendship
“Friends are the family you choose.”
I hate retirement, I understand for some it is a welcome relief from a mundane job, from a jerk-ass boss, from bolting bumpers on trucks, digging ditches or stocking shelves. I GET that and for those of you who have left that life, or those of you who love retirement, I understand and I am happy for you, but for me, it sucks. Do I miss the job, somewhat, I miss ESPN, I miss Bassmaster, somewhat, but in brutal honesty what I miss the most ain’t what goes on the Resume, what I miss most are my friends. ESPN: 15 years…many people there became family. BASS 14 years…tons of folks there became family. Simply put the currency of the human race is love, respect and friendship. It is not what we do to each other but what we do for each other…we are all we got. Think about that, the government, any government isn’t going to fix this, space aliens aren’t going to fix this, neither will info-mercials, alcohol nope, weed or whatever nope. Just Us…just feakin’ us.
A little Diddy About Reynold’s Marine & Friendships
That sign there says this “Reynold’s Garage & Marina EST 1859” I don’t know what that guy is saying though…
…up front this business is owned by a buddy of mine, Tommy Reynold’s, and his brother and sister who I don’t know but could also be buddys. The biz has been located in the same spot for 164 years, they have gone from caring for horse drawn buggies to bass boats. The place is located in Lyme, CT which was founded in 1667, it’s major business back then was shipbuilding, I would have taken some photos of the area but it was cold, there ya go. Other than Tommy and his family and sibs there have been some other pretty notable folks with a connection to this town: Andy Warhol shot a movie here ( I never saw it and can’t remember the name of it), author Dominick Dunne lived here awhile as did photographer Walker Evans. The guy who directed To Kill A Mockingbird Robert Mulligan was a resident as was Commander Ezra Lee of the Submarine Turtle during the Revolutionary War.
Reynold’s Marine is located in Hamburg Cove……and no I have no idea why it is named that. It is actually where Tommy grew up…
this is Tommy as a kid fishing with his Grandfather…
…possibly in that Hamburg Cove…
This is the kind of wooden boat his grandfather fixed…
…and possibly owned but I couldn’t figure out those details from the Reynold’s video I “borrowed” it from.
This is Tommy today…
…not looking at me while I try to take his photo.
I have known Tommy For As Long As I Have Known BASS
We are good friends, until possibly when he reads this, but know this about the dude, he is an honest straight shooter, a trait that has been passed down through generations, you deal with this family they are up front and honest. Tommy is also very big, very tall, but I think I can possibly outrun him after he reads this, let’s hope. This weekend Tommy had his annual “Open House” at his boat dealership, I stopped by out of friendship and to hang some with other old buddies.
Elite BASS Angler Matt Herren was there…
…a real good buddy from my days at BASS, he didn’t know I was coming…SURPRISE!
Matt was there giving a fishing seminar…
…on, um, you know…
…possibly flippin’ or pitchin’ or…
…some kind of way to catch fish like the Elite guys…I don’t know but the crowd dug it…
…and got a bunch of Yamaha stuff…
…signed by Matt. Trust me, he is a friend, as is his wife and mother, good folks, you won’t go wrong becoming a fan of Matt on the tour, he does know how to pitch and flip and do other things that catch fish very well.
Tommy has all kinds of boat stuff at the cove here
And today at the Open House he also brought in some local guys…
Located here in Connecticut and run by guys following a dream.
And: TomCat Custom Lures
Also a local angler following his dream. You can follow him on Facebook (I don’t know how to link that)
The Wealth Of Friendship
Every year that I’m in town I stop over at Tommy’s Open House, I’m not paid to do it, I do it simply because he is a friend, a good friend. I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t take money from Tommy if he offered it, friendship is worth more to me than money. I trust him in friendship and in what he does for a living, if you live around here and need boat stuff, you won’t hurt yourself dealing with Tommy and his family who has been fixing and selling stuff for over half a century. I also come here because I know other friends show up for the friendship…and possibly…the meatballs he serves at lunch as well.
Good buddy Mark Burgess
A former BASS Elite Angler who just recently was inducted into the Massachusettes BASS Nation Hall of Fame. I’ve known Mark and his family for years now, he was inducted into my Hall of Fame of nice guys years ago. A friend from back then, now, and into the future. Personal shout out to his wife Lisa and the boys Dakota & Jamie (also friends).
And then there is Sylvia…this is what I wrote about her on Facebook:
That lady standing next to me is my mother, she is also Mark Burgess...mother...in fact she is the adopted mother of any/all CT BASS Nation Anglers who have ever fished...if in fact you know Sylvia, she's your mother too.
Sylvia is actually the first BASS Nation angler I ever met, she was a longtime President of the CT BASS Nation (mother to all of those people too).
She is a wicked meatball making pasta Queen from Pittsburgh who loves the Steelers, BASS Nation and most days her husband Jimmy too.
She is quite simply a champion of this sport and an old school humanitarian who if you are not a jerk, and maybe even if you are, will mother you too.
Grazie signora per la sua gentilezza, premura e materna
db
The Wealth of Friendship
That’s us taken from a left turn by Neptune: The Tiny Blue Dot
Every person you know is on that dot. Every person that has ever lived did so on that dot. Everything on Earth that is now or ever was…yep, that tiny blue dot. Between us and the camera that took this photo we have yet to find life there, certainly haven’t found anything like us in almost 4 BILLION miles.
As we float in space we fight on Earth, on that tiny blue dot. I’m not a very religious guy, don’t buy God’s, Faith or Miracles, I don’t believe it but I do believe in that tiny blue dot, and those of us who live on it.
Look around, who but us do you see.
We, humans, are just the newest residents of that dot, until we are here more than a few hundred MILLION years we haven’t lived here as long as the Dinosaurs…by squatters rights this is a Dinosaur Planet, had not the space rock landed here, IT STILL WOULD BE A DINOSAUR PLANET.
Go softly with your words, go gently with your thoughts knowing that we are just a speck of sand on the biggest of all beaches.
Hold tight those you love.
Have patience for those you don’t know.
Strive to understand both knowing we are all we got.
Be gentle.
Be truthful.
Be tolerant.
But most of all be the KIND in MAN and cherish your friends.
db
I love this sign in Tommy’s garage…
…but couldn’t fit it in the body of the story, so here ya go….db