I have been fishing for over 40 years and tying fishing knots for just as long. Sometimes cleaning up the tag ends with a sharp knife, sometimes with an expensive “over glorified” pair scissors or sometimes, with my teeth.
Regardless of how... I could’ve cut myself more times than I can count, but...it has never happened until last night.
While recording next week’s “It’s Knot Friday” episode, the unthinkable happened, and OFF with the tip of my finger. Not a horrible cut, but required a visit to the hospital emergency room to stop the bleeding by cauterizing it.
Walking into the emergency room entrance, there was the nursing staff at the counter, a police officer sitting across the room and a 13 year old little girl named “Jane”(to protect her identity) sitting by herself wrapped in a blanket and cold.
You can imagine the look on everyone’s face when I walked through the door holding a bloody rag around my hand at midnight.
I immediately went to the front counter and the nurses acted promptly to slow down the bleeding until they could get me to the back. In the meantime, I took a seat close to Jane and waited to be called by the nurse.
It was at this moment that Jane’s curiosity couldn’t be contained and the question was asked..
“Does it hurt?”
I looked at her and saw the genuine concern in her face, so I promptly answered back..
“A little, but I’ll be OK”...
To continue our conversation, I asked her why she was at the emergency room.
The answer she gave me split my heart in half.
With an unashamed voice she said, “I tried to kill myself”...
It’s at these moments in life, where God steps in our lives and uses us for His glory. You don’t know it’s gonna happen, you don’t have any time to prepare for it. IT JUST HAPPENS...
And you don’t realize what has happened, until it’s over.
I asked if I could move to the seat next to her and asked for her name, “Jane Doe”, she replied with a smile.
My heart was broke for her, but I had to ask the question, “Jane, why would you want to do that?” Her answer was simple, “I don’t like my life”.
I don’t know what could of happened in Janes life to create this sad decision to end her life, but I had to come up with something fast.
So I asked her the only thing I could think of...
“You don’t like being at the beach?... She replied, I’ve never been there. Repeating the question to her, I added, “Well then you’ve never seen a sunset at the beach, have you ?
Do you want to see some really cool and weird looking fish that live in the ocean?”
With an immediate “yes”, I knew I had her attention. I pulled out my phone and started showing her my photos..
As I pulled up Tony Ludovico’s photos I could see the amazement in her eyes at the oddity of Gods underwater creations, that only Tony captures so well. She would ask at every picture, “what type of fish is that?” I would give her the answer and a little interesting fact about the fish.
As I continued, to scroll through my pictures she saw the sunrise photos from Andy Brunk and she asked “where was this taken, is that the ocean”. She said the sunsets were pretty and smiled. It was then, I took the opportunity to say, “You do know Jane, the only way you will ever get to see these crazy fish or a Sunrise at the beach, is to stay here with us and watch them. “Do you want to see these kind of things Jane? Nodding her head up and down, I said to her,
“How can you, if you kill yourself?”
I explained to her that there is so much in life to live for and the world is full of amazement. I told her, when I was her age I hadn’t seen these things either, but I promised her it was worth the wait.
I finally asked her one last question, “what do you have to do if you want to see these things and much, much more.”
Once again, her answer was simple....I have to live.
The nurse called my name to go back, but before leaving, I made Jane promise me she will fight to live and see all this pictures I showed her.
She sincerely said “Yes”...
I asked her for a hug and I kissed her forehead with a lump in my throat.
I pray to God that our little “Get Salty” family and the beautiful photographs of Tony and Andy helped to change this little girls mind...To help her understand, the wonders of life in this world are worth living for.
While I was sitting in the examination room, I tried to get the nurse to give me more information on her, but they wouldn’t.
I hope to see her again one day, and I will pray, if or when that day comes, its her walking on the beach with the sand between her toes.
This is what I know...
Had I not cut my finger like I did,
(Which I’ve never done)
I would’ve never had the opportunity to show her one of my favorite things, the ocean, and it’s many wonders that my friends Tony Ludovico and Andy Brunk have captured. I pray those images have changed this little girl and sparked a desire to choose life and go see.
I have said this before and I will say it again.
When I am on my boat and I’m in the middle of the Ocean, I’m not trying to escape from life...
I’m trying to immerse myself into life..
It’s beautiful, but you have to really look at it, to truly see it.
We take so much for granted...
God bless and please pray for this little girl.
Thank you Tony and Andy for capturing the moments, so many people never get to see. Thank all of you for the wonderful pictures.
Love my Salty family!!
See ya out there⚓️🌊🎣
Captain Bo
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