Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

An Ancient Fisherman
I was hired as a pharmaceutical salesman, or what was known in the trade as a “detail man”, and after my training was completed, I was given a territory in the Rio Grande Valley. In this part of Texas, the population was approximately 50% Mexican heritage and 50% Anglo American.

The number of physicians who had migrated to this part of Texas for many different reasons, such as the climate, and such. One of the physicians I called upon was in Port Isabel. He was probably close to eighty at the time. Despite our age differences, he was always attentive and curious.

One of our best drugs, or tetracyclines. I could never get him to say tetracycline, or Achromycin. He kept saying tetraglycine. I finally gave up because it really didn’t make any difference, and he wrote his prescriptions correctly. Almost every call we would eventually get around to talking about fishing. The unique part was that he had in his younger years taken then President Franklin D. Roosevelt tarpon fishing. It seems that in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s each spring there would be a run of tarpon around Port Isabel and South Padre Island. I don’t know why they chose the good doctor, but President Roosevelt would send his cabin cruiser on ahead and then he would board a special train to meet it and he would fish for tarpon.

We were taught early on never to argue with physicians. After all, they were doctors and we weren’t! The good doctor had some interesting tales to tell, and President Roosevelt was a very interested student of fishing for tarpon off Port Isabel.

Over the years, I made other contacts who fished the jungle rivers in central Mexico, and some would also tow their boats down and then catch a ferry over to Baha California for the great fishing there. In those days there wasn’t any problem with drug cartels everyone had to deal with and risk one’s life in the process. Just Sayin…RJS

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

Interesting story, Mr. Samples.
Makes me wonder...why has society become so addicted to drugs and alcohol? Pretty sure people not working has something to do with it but why are people so unhappy with reality? I don't get it?

Namvet69 Loc: Ohio

IMO there is no better environment to work in than one whose rules and regulations are understood and enforced. Man has continually moved the goal post of right and wrong, until confusion reigns, and no one is sure where the parameters are any longer. Since there’s no known parameter, people will go until they find themselves in trouble. This leads to chaos and breeds unhappiness. Man wants to continually indulge himself in happiness and contentment. Materialism, sex, drugs, alcohol, immorality of any and every kind of entertainment but happiness eludes them. Inside every human soul God instilled a spiritual need for Him and His fellowship. This is why the spiritual need inside can never be satisfied by materialist/worldly possessions. Every one has a god in their life, but worldly gods can’t satisfy man’s spiritual need. The Egyptians had a god for everything. Mars Hill had an altar to the unknown god, in case they missed one. All primitive tribes have a deity that they honor and worship. Man has tried to worship everything but the God Creator of all seen and unseen, the God of Heaven. Show me someone who is genuinely born a new by faith in Christ and I can show you someone who knows who they are, why they’re here, and where they’re going. That’s contentment.
Whether you admit it or not, something in your life is your god, whether it’s a good thing or not, but it won’t bring you happiness and contentment. Only our Creator can fill that void, and as He intended.

fishing rod Loc: Michigan

Preach it brother

Namvet69 Loc: Ohio

I’m trying. Haha

Namvet69 Loc: Ohio

I chased the elusive butterfly of materialism. Pretty well caught it, and had the world by the tail on a down hill swing, yet I wasn’t happy. There was never enough. Then one day I met Jesus, and my life has never been the same. Only then do you start to see things in the light of His understanding. Man is rich two ways: 1- he can buy anything he wants; 2-or he’s happy with what he has. If only man would stop and really look around. The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. There’s nothing wrong with possessions. Only when man tries to satisfy his eternal need, then they are now his god. And that god will never bring happiness.

Passingbye Loc: Reidsville NC

It's getting closer for the 2nd coming of Christ to harvest his children and set up His Kingdom and Satan is at work trying to steal every soul he can take them from God who created them. Man's sinful nature because of the original fall in the Garden of Eden and the Exodus of the Jews from bondage, millions of Israel children heard God and saw Moses and felt him shake the mountain when God spoke and wanted not what Moses got and made other gods before Him..God led man by his own hand out of bondage from Egypt by a pillar of clouds in the day and a pillar of fire by night to the promised land of Israel the Holy Land. Jesus was born and crucified and resurrected to defeat hell and death. Now the end is getting near and Satan is working overtime and man is so willing to do what is fun and evil because they don't give God are their soul Final destination a second thought Jesus judgment is coming the last book of life will be opened and any name that's not written in will be cast into the Lake of fire and only those that have truly been born again in Christ Jesus will be with God forever.