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Boundary Waters / Quetico Discussion Forums >> General Boundary Waters / Quetico Discussion >> Am I a Shmuck?
https://quietjourney.com/community/YABB.cgi?num=1275245326 Message started by mastertangler on May 30th, 2010 at 6:48pm |
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Title: Re: Am I a Shmuck? Post by Joe_Schmeaux on Jun 1st, 2010 at 5:01am
Hopefully I am missing some important dialogue between you and your buddy, but my initial reaction leans to "yes". (I say "leans to", because I had understood that "schmuck" literally and figuratively translates as "prick" - a bit strong for what we're talking about here.)
My take on the situation is as follows: You invited them, so that means you agreed to take on all the obligations of a host. In other words, you agreed to do everything in your power to make their trip as enjoyable as possible, with no consideration of your own personal enjoyment. That's hardly as bad as it sounds. If you and your buddy go that far back, you've probably both got so many plusses and minuses on the ledger that one lost weekend for one of you isn't going to make much difference at this point anyway. And unless your buddy is a jerk, he will recognize that you need a bit of time alone, and will ensure that you get it. (Like how many 14-year olds get up before dawn for any reason? You get a few hours right there.) If your buddy has been on a tough Algonquin trip, he's hardly a noob. It's been a while since I've been to A, but I don't remember much difference other than the crowds and the fluorescent cardboard tacked to the trees. That said, any opportunity to teach teenagers proper wilderness etiquette should be taken eagerly, not avoided. This is something that comes back to benefit all of us. Regarding fishing, Q's barbless, no-live-bait rules make catching fish a bit of a challenge. Since you have considerable skills in this area and I gather that your buddy and his son do not, shouldn't you be eager to share what you know? A couple of lessons, a couple of successes, the Game Boy might be quickly forgotten. (If your buddy and his son hooked a decent sized Northern and got it to the boat, would they know what to do without you?) It really is better to give than to receive. |
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