LITTLE ROCK — As I contemplate venturing into the drizzle for a lateafternoon deer hunt, I am compelled to share a spirit of Thanksgiving.
First, my eternal gratitude to the good Lord for curing my cancer and demonstrating through me his boundless love and grace. I finished a nine-month chemotherapy regimen exactly one year ago, and I give thanks every day for the day at hand. I get a little impatient sometimes at the lingering aftereffects of chemo, radiation and the knife, but every time I get to feeling a little sorry for myself, I see someone or talk to someone who truly is suffering, and it humbles me.
Compared to where I was a year ago, or even six months ago, my health today is miraculous. A year ago, my body could not tolerate the exertion of normal hunting and fishing activities. I couldn’t spend more than a few hours in a duck blind, and when I fished, I spent almost as much time on the bank squatting behind trees as I did on the water. I had to keep a 2-gallon bucket and a roll of toilet paper in my deer stand, and hunting upland birds was brutal. The lowest point was late last winter when I hunted quail withBoyd Goldsby. We took our English setter puppies, Tess and Bruce. The dogs worked wonderfully, but I collapsed under the strain. We traveled so far for that hunt, and I felt so low, but Goldsby was completely supportive.
Two weeks ago, I hunted hard in the slick, muddy prairies in central Kansas. I walked many miles over difficult terrain in two days and suffered no pain or discomfort. I didn’t slow the group, and nobody had to wait for me. The “bucket” days in the deer stand are mercifully over, and though I can’t stay on a stand all day the way I once did, I can stay as long as I need to. I can hunt ducks without fear of embarrassment, and I can fish almost as hard as I ever did. I value every moment, but I especially value the moments I spend afield because there was a time when I thought I might have to give it all up.
I am also thankful for the fellow cancer combatants I have met during this journey. If I have helped strengthen anyone in times of weakness and despair, then all my own pain has been worthwhile. So many friends encouraged and coached me when I got sick, and I am humbly honored to serve others the same way. There is no fear as deep and dark as that which accompanies cancer. The moment you get that diagnosis, you have seen the end of your life. The gig is up, your days are truly numbered. At that point, all you have left is faith. It sounds trite, but faith is mighty, and it is sufficient, regardless of the outcome.
For my fellow combatants, thanks for letting me be there for you, either in person or through my writings. I consider you all family.
For all the harsh words that have passed between me and AGFC commissioners Emon Mahony and Craig Campbell, few have been more supportive and encouraging than they were. Some say my commentary over closing the 2009 fall turkey season crossed the line into meanspiritedness. If it did, they took it graciously, and while we’ve sparred vigorously overtheir official activities, they impress me personally as fine and decent men.
I can say the same for many other past and present commissioners, and I will. From Sheffield Nelson to George Dunklin to Lester Sitzes and everyone in between, thanks much for the encouragement and kind thoughts.
Special thanks to you, the Arkansas sportsmen who read my musings and adventures on Thursdays and Sundays. Many big newspapers have quit covering the outdoors, but it remains a vital part of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and you’re the reason. Hunting and fishing are the cornerstones of Arkansas culture, encompassing all races, ages and social strata. We are so blessed to live in a state so rich with fish and game, and so rich with the opportunities to pursue them. Let us not ever take it for granted.
And finally, thanks to Wally Hall and the management of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, who talked me into leaving a comfortable job with the Missouri Department of Conservation to come back home for the greatest job in journalism. That was nearly six years ago, and I’m thankful for every day of it.
Sports, Pages 34 on 11/25/2010