My Life in a Snapshot 1

   This photo was take in 1976. I was five years old. I'm sitting alongside the Rough River in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. I lived in Michigan with my mother and sister at the time, and we had taken a trip to see my grandmother. This was a long time ago, I can't say that I remember the trip very well, bits and pieces really. And some of that may blend in with other trips we made, I DO, remember this day...
  While this was not the first time I had gone fishing, it was the first time I caught a fish, sort of. We came to the river in my granny's mobile home. I can't tell you everyone that was there, but I can tell you the key players, myself, my mother, and Herman (that's all I ever remember anyone calling him). Also I should say there was some emphasis on the excitement of catching that fish, not only was it my first, but I was in Kentucky, I was fishing with the grown-ups, and you can tell by the look on my face, I was takin' this business serious. Check out that classic 12' cane poll. Well, when I hooked that fish I got so excited, I Got One, I Got One, I spun around to show everyone my prize catch, and my mother was standing about 12' behind me...And the fish was dead. Not only was it dead, but looking back I have to wonder how that fish even stayed on the hook while I swung it around, because when it hit my mom's face it kinda... desintesploded, that's like disintegrating and exploding all at the same time.
   I started crying immediately because, well, because my fish desintesploded. My mother started crying immediately for the same reason. She also felt it was necessary to gag and puke as the rotten fish paste slid down her face. Herman fell to the ground laughing, until he cried. At least three people cried over that fish, my granny may have cried too, just because everyone else was. All I know is that ended that fishing trip, and my mom still claims today that it can make her gag to think of it thirty-five years later.