Kindness Goes a Long Way

So, this morning I woke up and checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls through the night and I was met with a huge upset.  The screen on my Blackberry Bold was all white and had and error message that simply said "PVJ Error."  Oh, it also had a small frowny face as if I needed that.
I called the local T-Mobile Store and they told me I had insurance on my phone but that it was $130.50 for my deductible.  Needless to say I wasn't happy about that I mean why did I buy freaking insurance on my phone in the first place when it takes just a little more than that to buy a new one.
Anyway, I asked if I could come into the store to get someone to help me and this very nice young girl said, "You sure can!" So that's where I went.

Now, as most can relate I wasn't happy having to go into this store only thinking that they would have $130.50 from me or tell me that is was broken (which I knew).  When I walked in the same young girl that I spoke on the phone with said welcome to T-Mobile you must be Ben....that's right she knew me before I even told her my business about the phone.  I thought I might have left a sticky note on my forehead that said I'm the one with the crapped out cell phone.  To make a long story short I was very kind to her and in return she was to me, resulting in me getting a brand new phone at no charge because it was under factory warranty and instead of them making me wait for them to mail me one, they did it in the store.  See sometimes it pays to be kind...even in situations where we assume the worst.

You Have to Have the Right Bait

Friday while at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, I was standing in line to receive my medications.  This is when an old Vietnam Veteran decided to "learn me a lesson or two" on women.  The gentleman in a long pleather trench coat with sunglasses on (looking like a model in a 1976 GQ magazine cover page) asked me, "You know son...you have to have the right bait."  Obviously I was confused, then he added, "Women are like fish!  There are two types, ones that feed off the top of the water and ones that feed off the bottom.  See, I can throw a cast net the way I look, and catch all the fish on the top that I want.  The fish on the bottom, well, those are the special ones...they only bite specific baits, making them much more hard to catch."  I just stood with a smile and listened to the old vet since he obviously had the stage.  Then he said, "Those fish on the bottom, well if you don't have the right bait...then you don't catch the fish, simple as that.  So son, fish with the right bait and you will catch that fish sure thing." I just thanked him for the information and got my medicine.  How funny is that.

Even more funny, while fishing alone today it gave me time to ponder all types of things.  Since I have a girlfriend I can tell you it wasn't about what my right bait was.  Either way, just this evening I saw about a 7 lb bass just chilling by a log.  Man I was excited.  So I cast about 15 feet past with my Culprit Trick worm with a yellow tail and reeled in slowly near him to get him to bite...no luck.  I did this about 8 times...still he wasn't interested.

So, I decided to change baits, first a plastic crayfish...then a fluorescent trick worm...then a top water jitter bug...then finally a Culprit Moccasin plastic worm, all with no luck.  He stayed in the same place by the same log even after all of that casting.  Then I just came to the conclusion that you have to have the right bait or you won't catch the fish you want...I should have tried a cast net!