Today I came to the realization that, to me, duck hunting is not something I enjoy purely for the sake of bringing God's bounty home. Duck hunting is the promise of what is yet to come. As I get to the blind, the sun has not yet risen. I set out my spread and then I wait. When hunting alone, as I did today, I have time to reflect on my life; on the good things and the bad. Even when reflecting on bad aspects, they never seem as bad when I am sitting next to the water, looking over my decoy spread. When I am with friends, the waiting time is filled with conversation and laughter. When the kids are with me, we mostly talk about their lives and I answer questions about our chances of shooting any ducks. Any manner of company that I am with, it is a very enjoyable start to the day.
Things yet to come. Each day spent duck hunting makes me a little more of an optimist, I think. As I sit waiting for shooting hours, my thoughts also turn to the many types of ducks I might see. I visualize big groups of ducks with cupped wings dropping into the spread I prepared for them. As legal shooting hours arrive, sometimes my visions become reality, but most times they don't. No matter. I've had another good start to another day. One day closer to being an optimist.
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