Mending Meditation

I’ve been mending my gear this week and love what a quiet and focused activity it is. My net loft is one of my favorite places on our property—perched up over our field out East End Road, the view is great. It’s nice to look up from my work and see some cranes circling or ducks dabbling around in our pond. Mending is also a good way to try to come to terms with my shame for the various mistakes I made to rip my gear and the favors I had to ask for people to help me deal with it in-season. Thanks for the tow, Tad. Resolving to be more vigilant in keeping my gear out of the prop!

Mending is nostalgic for me, because it was how I got my foot in the door in commercial fishing back when in Cordova: fresh out of college, I was living in the old fishermen’s bunkhouse and net loft there. I met my first skipper working on his gear, and got offered a job when his deckhand went to jail. The buildings where I was staying and working had been built in the 20s or so, as part of the Kennicott Mine railroad, and I loved working and staying in those beautiful, simple, historic buildings. I met so many great folks there and heard some of the best stories I expect to hear. I love the memories of riding my bike around Cordova, hiking, eating dinner with the other fishermen, and working through the night to try to get the nets done.