Ordinary Maine

This morning was a very special day for Camden. We woke up at 5:30 AM and prepared to head out to a friend's home on Little Sebago Lake for his first fishing trip on a boat. The Senior Warden of my Masonic Lodge is Ken Pritchard. We have worked many an hour in the Lodge kitchen cooking breakfast and of course, we have enjoyed a few hours in a boat over the last six years. Each year I usually obtain our smelts and he puts them by is his game freezer. Because of schedules we have been unable to get out on the water until today.

I have dreamed of this day for five years. As a parent, there are experiences you want your children to have. Some of those experiences are purely for selfish reasons others are not. In the case of this morning's fishing adventure it was all about me. Well, kind of... You see I have dreamed about the first day Camden would fish on a boat for several years now. I even imagined that this experience would take place on Ken's boat. My hope was that he would catch lots of fish with our assistance.

I spent my morning sewing the smelt onto hooks and Ken helped Camden work the lines. It was also my job to get some pictures. Below is a picture of Camden's first fish. What a great start to a wonderful day. The pictures that follow are of other fish he caught this morning. All told Camden boated 9 white perch. In the spirit of the outdoor code we released all 9 fish because we did not indend to eat them.

As the morning was winding down Ken and I had some time to reflect upon the morning's work. We both lamented the fact that Camden did not hook a trout or other larger fish. At one point I had a big grin on my face and Ken looked a little perplexed. I just laughed and noted that today was a great day to be on the water. I also told him the best part about fishing with someone who had never caught a fish before was quite a treat, because to Camden, all the fish were big. It is just amazing to think how magical that is. I am blessed to have been present for the occasion.

I want to extend a special Ordinary Maine Thank You to Ken Pritchard for having us out on the boat this morning. I value greatly the times we are able to share together either at the lodge or out a field. It was very nice to share these moments with you and we are both grateful for your generosity.

Great Joy!

Tony

I am a lucky man. I am married to a wonderful wife, and I have two great children. On top of that, I have always been in a position to enjoy all of the really big events in the lives of my kids. Camden, my son, is the oldest and today he had another first that I was able to witness. While discussing this first with my wife the other night, I began to wonder just how I would write about this experience. Renee suggested that I spend some time thinking about some of Camden's other firsts.

In his five years, I have personally been present to watch Camden do many things. I still remember the first time I held him in my arms. I remember the first time I changed his diaper, and I will never forget the first time he woke Renee and I up in the middle of the night. Since that evening in January of 2004, I have been fortunate to be present for some great firsts.

I remember the first time Camden got really sick, and we discovered that he had a problem with his ears; that was a Christmas Eve to remember. I remember his first trip to the playground and his wonder on the swing. I remember his first long car ride to Van Buren, Maine and how well he slept. I will never forget the day I captured him on camera discovering his shadow. His first haircut was so fun to watch. He was so serious. I remember his first broken bone, his first ER trip and his first visit to the Doctor. As I sit here typing, I am amazed that it was only yesterday Renee and I put him in the car and brought him home from the hospital.

I can still picture the first night I tried to tent with him in the backyard. He almost made it the entire night, but got spooked at 3 am and had to go inside. I remember our first walk together; that turned into a habit that has continued to this day. I remember the day he became a big brother and was the first person, other than Dad, to hold his baby sister. And now it is only within the last few months that Camden lost his first two teeth in the space of three days.

So with all those great experiences and many more behind us, I prepared myself for this day with great pride and reservation. You see, today Camden's journey took a different path, and instead of going to day care, he boarded a bus for the ride to his first day of school. I have always heard others talk about these days, but to be present for the actual event and add it to my list of memories, is truly something to be thankful for.



I could not send him off without a hug and a kiss, but today unlike all the others, there was no room for our High Five, Low Five, Knuckle Bump and Mish-Mash combo. I guess that is the price of parenting a growing boy. As he rounded the corner and headed down the isle of the bus, I watched with pride as he took his seat and looked out the window with great excitement. He smiled and returned my wave as the bus drove off into the morning. Just another first in the jouney of life. I cried.

Tony