The Princess Catches the Worm

I say Princess, not because my daughter was born to royalty but because as a young adult, she has carved out an extraordinary life that does not include picking up worms and trying to catch a fish. The worm was more of the event than the fish. The other thing to know about our Princess is that when she makes up her mind to do something, she does it.

So off she came on a recent visit to the Berkshires and decided to go fishing rather than swim and get her hair wet (heaven forbid).

From learning to make mud pies to fishing for the

first time, a lifetime of new experiences on Prospect Lake.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Summerson

I tagged along with Dani, a fishing pole, and en route she purchased a container of worms. My darling actually bought worms! So far, the container is closed, so I am not worried.

I just cannot wrap my head around this. My husband and I are outdoor types; campers who have no problem with dirt. All her life we have heard “EEEWWWW” at the appearance of something outside that did not fit her pristine world. We have lost cell phones as they were dropped into a pool at the site of a spider and the concurrent scream. We have seen trajectory tosses of phones at the site of a bee.

So here she is with live, squiggly worms and her mania for catching a fish. First came trying to cast. She stated. “Well, I watched ‘A River Runs Through It’. And if Robert Redford and Brad Pitt can cast, so can I. NOT. So, she returned to the simpler fishing life of the drop. Next came the worm. Yes, Robert Redford won a directorial award for that movie. Princess Dani would have won an acting award for the longest, most drawn out worm hooking experience ever. First came touching the worm. Dani, thank you for one of the best laughs ever. Then she realized she had to get it on the hook and was distraught that it would get hurt. Just hook it already. My blog is getting too long.

And now the long wait …. only it was not long. A tug on the line, she pulls on it hoping it was a fish and not some lake weed. Voila – a beautiful fish she held up just enough for the photo op and then needed help tossing it back into Prospect Lake.

This Lake continues to give me great joy. And this particular event goes into the Princess annals.

Susan Winston is a licensed psychotherapist, former TV writer, producer, and director, and a long-distance swimmer who loves Prospect Lake.