THE CHARACTURE OF A MAN...

[WAHOONBOX]

I HAVE TRIED OVER THE YEARS TO NOT BRING IN "PERSONAL PRIVATE BIZNESS" TO PUBLIC VIEW.....BUT I THINK THIS ONE DESERVES SOME MERIT AND I HOPE THE MAN WHOM I AM SPEAKING OF DOESN'T MIND ME GOING PUBLIC

YOU HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK OF A KID WHO CONTACTED ME BY PHONE ABOUT A YEAR AGO......BEGGING FOR INFO ON MY RIGGING SCHOOL.........SAID HE LIVED IN DELEWARE.....AND WAS 18 YRS YOUNG....I MEAN OLD.

WHEN I TOLD HIM THE COST OF MY 2 DAY EVENT ....HE SAID THAT HE WANTED TO TAKE PART IN THE SCHOOL BADLY! ......BUT WOULD HAVE TO SAVE SOME MONEY FIRST.

I THOUGHT TO MYSELF ....HELL....BY THE TIME HE DOES THAT...THE 2007 SUMMER WILL BE OVER...THE MID ATLANTIC FISH WILL BE MIGRATING TO THE SOUTHERN ...AND ANOTHER YEAR WILL GO BY WITHOUT PROPER TUTORING FOR THE KID......I MEAN MAN.

AFTER A 30 MINUTE PHONE CONVERSATION AND LISTENING TO SOME HYPED TEENAGER ADRENILINE CHAT....I SAID : " I THINK WE CAN WORK OUT AN "ARRANGEMENT" $O THAT YOU CAN DO JANUARYS SCHOOL " ....."R E A L L Y?" HE SAID. ..........HE SEEMED VERY EXCITED AND THAT PLEASED ME......

I HUNG THE PHONE UP ....SLUMPED BACK INTO MY EVENING CHAIR AND ENTERED MY OWN LITTLE TIME MACHINE........AH YES.......AS ALICE COOPER SANG IT: I'M EIGHTEEN ....18....18 AND I LIKE IT!" YEAH I WAS 18 AT ONE TIME.......YOUNG DUMB AND FULL OF.....DESIRE TO LEARN...........

TOUGH ROAD IT WAS BEING 18 AND WANTING TO BE A PITMAN ....BEGGING....SNEAKING A PEEK HERE....BEGGING FOR A PEEK THERE.....TWISTING....TYING...AND EVEN CLEANING FISH FOR FREE TO GAIN SOME KNOWLEDGE

MMMMMM....WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOSE I THOUGHT? A FEW DOLLARS MORE? MAYBE THE KID WILL BE GREAT.....AND THEN MAYBE NOT.....................WRONG. HE AIN'T GREAT ....YET.....BUT I GOT MY MONEY ON HIM...........OR AT LEAST I H-A-D MY MONEY ON HIM.

YES, I LET THIS YOUNG COLLEGE DUDE....MAKE PAYMENTS TO ME SO THAT HE COULD TAKE MY RIGGING SCHOOL.....AND BY CRACKEY....HE HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE PERKS I OFFER WITH IT BY ATTENDING ALL OF 5 RIGGING SESSIONS THIS YEAR!

AND THEN HE GOES BANGS OUT SOME BLUE MARLINS AND DIRTY WHITE ONES HIS FIRST PIT SEASON........

LUCK? HOW 'BOUT FATE........

WELL TODAY'S MAIL CAME ...THE USUAL BILLS....BLAH BLAH BLAH......ADVERTISMENT CRAPOLA WHICH I TOSSED WITHOUT OPENING.......AND THEN THERE WAS THIS LETTER WITH A DELEWARE POSTMARK.......BAM-A-LAMA....I JUST RECEIVED THE LAST IN$TALLMENT FROM THIS GUY....I MEAN MATE.....ON TIME AS PROMISED.


A MAN OF HIS WORD......A MAN WHO IS RELIABLE.....A MAN WHO STARVES FOR FISH....A MAN ......A MAN WHO HAS CHARACTURE.

#1 GAFFMAN............YOU MADE ME PROUD THIS YEAR.

I TIP MY RIGGERS TO YOU

I HOPE I LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO FOLLOW YOUR CAREER....TO SEE YOUR NAME AND PICTURE ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLING-.....I MEAN THE COVER OF "BIG GAME JOURNAL"

BE PATIENT....STAY IN SHAPE....LAY OFF THE BOOZE...REMAIN FIRST CLASS....TELL THE TRUTH..........CONTINUE YOUR UPWARD PATH.....AND YOUR DAY WILL COME ....TRUST ME.

ONE DAY....ONE DAY GAFF'.....SOME BIG RIG OWNER WILL SCOOP YOU UP FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!

ROCK ON......

TOMORROW....RIGHT NOW TOMORROW IS MY DAY .....FOR THERE ARE A FEW WAHOOS OUT THERE I NEED TO RECKON WITH

[Nimrod]

Nicely said BOX. Indeed, Gaffman is quite the young man! His passion is infectious - You can see it in his eyes and read it in his posts.

I'm glad to know you Shane and it was an honor to be in class with you. Congrats on your year (so far) and best of luck in the future. I look forward to fishing with you sometime.

[pitch bait]

Nicely said is right, and Gaffman being a man of your word will take you a long way in life especially if you go into buisness for yourself.

[Going Deep]

One of the best post I've seen in quite a while.

[Water Damage]

character in people nowadays is a very difficult thing to find - congrats to Gaffman for being a standup guy, a man - doing the right thing!! At the end of the day all you really have in life is "who you are!" Money, women, good times - all that crapola - comes and goes.

damn great post 'BOX

[trollman]

Nicely said is right, and Gaffman being a man of your word will take you a long way in life especially if you go into business for yourself.

dude, you can be proud of urself. to be recognized by this bunch and for standing by ur committments. that single trait will carry you all the way in ANY endeavor. great job and great post.

[jjudge]

gaffman-By stcking to your word and being recognized by BOX you are already light years ahead of others in the fishing world. As a business owner, it is great to see....

[Randy Stinchcomb]

Very Nice Box' good to know atleast some of generation X is trying to advance themselves.....Great Job Gaffman

[Persistence]

Very cool Marty...and nicely done by the Gaffman.

Had something similar done for me when I was 19. Was in Community College (paying my own way) and working for this telemarketing company. Well, I could not make enough to sustain myself and a college bill (even a small one) so I asked if I could work full time. The owner asked me why so I told him I needed to save up for a semester and then go back to college the following semester. He said, "you don't need to work here...you should be in school. How much money do you need?" I told him I did not want his money. He looked me dead in the face and said, "I don't care, come in tomorrow and tell me what you need or don't come in at all". I knew damn right well what I needed so I told him. (it was like 2 grand I think with books and all). He pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check and told me to get the hell out of there and get an education. I worked there nights and routinely went back to see him as I was able to transfer to a 4 yr University the following year (Kutztown State in PA) and always stayed in touch. I tried to pay him back years later and he told me flat out, "no way...I consider that an investment in a young man's future". Without that act of generosity, I have no idea where I'd be today...

Again, nicely done on both sides.

Glenn

[#1Gaffman]

Wow,

well, the only thing i can truly say is thanks. Thanks for the coments, thanks to the SFC community, and thanks to BOX.

Last year i took boxes class, it was a good hunk of $$$, BUT, it was worth every penny.......

Because of the knowledge i gained from his class i was able to fish in places and catch fish that i would not have even thought about before.

More importantly, It gave me the confidence to be the mate i feel i have become(and becoming)

This year has been great for me, Fishing new places along the coast, catching Marlin's and GBFT, learning tricks from all kinds of people, and making new freinds in many new places.


The learning never stops.

Thanks Again,

Shane.