Watching my oldest son graduate from the University of Wyoming last weekend, I got to thinking about the things they don’t tell you when you accomplish those milestones. The speaker at the graduation talked about all the possibilities open to those young folks wearing the funny hats and robes, but she didn’t give much attention to the other parts of adulting.
Things like trying to balance the household budget when gas prices are soaring like a SpaceX rocket. Wondering what else is going to be affected by wars on the other side of the globe. And trying to figure out how to manage a trip back to the old hometown to get away from all this stress for a little while.
When I was growing up, I spent a heck of a lot of time down on the banks of the Wind River. We lived outside Riverton, and it was an easy walk to the river from the house. Some days I took my fishing rod, other days the .22 rifle, or in the fall, I’d pack along a shotgun. I could go fishing or plinking whenever I wanted, and during the hunting seasons, I could hunt rabbits, waterfowl, and upland birds every day, if I felt the urge.
It’s a lot harder to get out to go hunting or fishing now that I’m an adult with a job – well, actually several jobs, but one would be enough to curtail my outdoor adventures. But I do get up to Riverton as often as I can, and most trips to the old stomping grounds involve fishing, plinking or hunting.
But my folks came down to the southeast corner of the state last weekend to watch Colby graduate, so I don’t have as easy an excuse to get back up to Riverton. I may have to wait a few more weeks to go. But by then, maybe there’ll be a good hatch on the river. Even if there’s not, though, I’ll be out there with my fly rod. I’ll just have to wait until mid-June to go.
