Publisher’s Letter

As an islander, it’s easy to become enveloped by the natural beauty and laid-back lifestyle we are all so fortunate to enjoy day after day. We risk becoming complacent, steadied by the sunny weather, tropical ambience and the temptation to rarely glance at a clock. But recently, I experienced a personal situation that caused me to refocus my purpose—to transform my way of thinking and to realize just how truly fortunate I am.

I received the dreaded phone call no one ever wants to receive. My oldest son had been in an automobile accident. I was beside myself with shock, angst and questions. Was he all right? Where was he? How could this happen? Through tears and fear, my heart palpitating like never before, I did everything I could to get a grip on my emotions, which was made all the more difficult by the vast distance between us. I was in the Northeast finishing a business meeting, and he was in Fort Myers.

However, once I received enough information to calm myself, I was thankful that the airbags in his Volkswagen Jetta had saved his life. I learned it was not his fault and he would be OK. I now had to concentrate on getting the next available flight back to Fort Myers.

Certain pivotal moments cause you to refocus, to change your ideals, to prioritize what is important in your life, and to regroup so you can deal with all of the transformations required by the situation.

After I returned home and regained my regular heartbeat, I was determined to do something that would take me out of the moment. I grabbed my cast net and headed to the shore, the place that has never failed to provide solace. At that moment advice given to me by Ralph Woodring, when the staff at the Bait Box presented me with a cast net in early 2014, came to mind. He told me that if I ever was beset by worry, to go out and cast the net.

I flung it into the surf with vigor, again and again, hoping to cast myself back to reality. Like a veteran, I threw that net until my physical strength was depleted, but my inner strength was reborn.

I share this with you because I found being close to nature, particularly the water, at a moment like this was a calming, yet eye-opening, experience. My hope is that should you ever encounter a similar situation, you realize that no matter what the good Lord may have in store for us, we all possess the power to get through it, and to even benefit from it.

Connecting with the water can work wonders, as I discovered, and in this issue we give you some ways to interact with nature’s force as well. On page 20, Keep on Fishin’ will get you excited about casting a line (instead of a net) from one of Southwest Florida’s piers or from a charter boat. Or you could venture to Silver Springs State Park ( Eternal Springs, p. 24) and peer into the crystal-clear waters from a glass-bottom boat. Another article you’re sure to enjoy is Shrimp from Sea to Scampi on page 34, which delves into the story of our local shrimping industry and its deep connection to the Gulf.

So next time you walk along a beach, a river or a lake, remember: Water can be a source of strength. Embrace it.