That's My Story

LEAVING SOMETHING ON THE PLAYING FIELD

Originally Published the Week of July 9, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

In all the years down here in Baja, one of the funnest things I ever did had nothing to do with being on the water.  It had a lot to do with being on this planet.

But there we were…us and a handful of fishermen running up and down the aisles of the local La Paz grocery store tossing handfuls of everything in the basket.  Money and cost be damned!

It was like turning kids loose in a candy store!

Remember those old TV shows where the winner got 10 minutes to put as much of anything the could find into the shopping cart before the buzzer rang?  That’s what it was like.   Gleeful fun.  Giddy fun.

Store attendants looked on in horror!

Jimmy was putting bags of rice and beans in his cart and piling that-up with cartons of eggs.

Mike was literally doing a balancing act by pulling cans of soup or vegetables into his cart and making a mess dumping boxes of cereal and soap and juice into his overflowing cart.

Terry had parked in the produce section.  He was busy bagging tomatoes and apples, onions and oranges and trying to squeeze watermelon underneath near the wheels.

On the other end of the store, Larry already had some huge frozen hams in his cart.  He had just laid wasted to the bacon, poultry and hot dogs and was now assaulting the dairy section for milk, yogurt and butter.  See, Larry run!

Laughing like a little kid, I found Mario in the liquor aisle putting jugs of wine on top of boxes of cookies…donuts… and potato chips!

I looked at him puzzled…”Not exactly healthy stuff there, Mario!”

“Hey…they’re OLD…they’re not DEAD! They should have some fun!” he yelled back.

I had to laugh.  All of this “largesse” was headed to one of the old-folks home here in La Paz.  Yes…”old but not dead and certainly entitled to fun!”

As soon as all of this was loaded into the van, we were headed there to the senior home to play summer-time Santa Clause…a total surprise!

Every year this group pulls this crazy stunt.  Their last day in town is a “run through the market” followed by a visit to the senior home to big smiles, hugs, and grateful handshakes from a group so often forgotten.

The seniors are so often forgotten.  They’re not cute.  Many can’t speak.  They sit for hours just staring.     One of the gents gets a special smile as he pulls the bottle of tequila from the boxes of groceries and flashes a toothless grin!  I  would have bet the barn that he squirrels it under his shirt and sneaks back to his room!

But they aren’t the only ones.  We have another group of anglers that takes all the fish from their last day of fishing. They donate it to whatever cause seems to be the most needy.  Sometimes, it’s the seniors.  Sometimes it’s the kids.

It doesn’t matter.  It seems that they fish especially hard that  last day because they know that even “junk fish” like bonito will be more than welcomed.  Jack crevalle and triggerfish all go into the ice chests ready to fillet!

Again, the smiles are priceless.

I have another group of good-Joes.  They fish with us and eat at our restaurant.  They automatically put up $50 bucks a head.  They order and eat off the $50.

They order a 10-dollar burger or plate of tacos and nachos.  The remainder is a donation to charity.   If they have 10 or 20 guys…that can be a nice sum that buys a lot of dry goods,  toiletries, rice, beans and yes…pampers and toothpaste.

Others aren’t so grand, but bring whatever they can.

A dentist brings cases of the extra sample toothbrushes  sent to his office. He has us give it to an elementary school near Las Arenas.  A doctor gets boxes bandages.

A guy who sells paper products brings note pads and colored-pencils.  Kids who treasure each piece of paper act like gold,  bust out huge smiles.

Another group collects old sporting goods cast-off by their own kids who have outgrown them. They come down with baseball gloves,  a catchers mask,  some old rubber bases and deflated soccer balls and basketballs that can be inflated again.  Old sweaty baseball hats with MLB logos are treated like winning lottery tickets.

Eyes glow.  Handshakes exchanged.  No words necessary.   It’s universal.  Win-win.  Priceless friendship and gratitude.

Things that we so often take for granted like toothpaste and soap and shampoo are a luxury.   We go through sports gear as fast as we visit our sporting goods store and see a new model that promises to make us stronger, faster, or better.

We don’t give 2^nd thoughts about how important something like pampers or socks or clean t-shirts might be.  Or just what a treat a cheap sip of wine might be  even if served in a Dixie cup.

You always hear athletes talking about “going all out” and “leaving it all out there on the court or field.”  Give it your all.  Regret nothing.

Here in Mexico, leaving even a little something behind on the playing field is makes everyone a winner.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

_______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

Website: www.tailhunter-international.com

U.S. Office: Box 1149, Alpine CA  91903-1149

Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”