POLITICIANS AND FISHERMEN HAVE MUCH IN COMMON THESE DAYS
See You on the Lake
Woody Cooper

One of the things that make a person listen to a fisherman tell his whopper about the whopper he caught is that you plan on telling him one better when and if he ever finishes. You never know whether the stories are completely true but since they do not harm anyone it really doesn't really matter. Most of the people who are into politics do about the same thing. Most will tell you any type of story in an effort to get your vote. All of the folks that that I have met who were running for office are for motherhood, apple pie and the American flag. They are against taxes, sending our young folks into combat and stand up for the "little man." One big difference between the fisherman and the politico is the fact that all the fishermen I have known are at work at least forty hrs a week whereas our national representatives "work" four days a week even though we do not see any direct benefits to the "little man."

Both stress the personal traits of honesty. Both will tell their story with a straight face and actually expect the listener he has cornered to believe all. The fisherman baits up and casts for a fish for the dinner table. The office seeker uses words and promises for bait that he casts out for votes. The fisherman eats baloney when he fails to make a catch while the politician eats crow when you catch him in a fib. Of course he will lie his way out of any lie he tells. There are a few differences and one is that the politician will kiss all the babies, including the ugly ones while the fisherman will only kiss the mamas. Both want to go back just one more time because both see unfinished work to be done in the office and on the water. Both promise better things will happen the next time. Both will drive untold miles down the road, one to get to a crowd and the other to get away from the crowd. The fisherman is usually a loner while the office seeker is a crowd chaser. Any group over two people is a crowd. Some of us vote for a person for strange reasons, maybe because your family has always voted for one party you may do the same. Some may vote a straight ticket because he believes that one party is for the rich while the other is for the poor. Some may vote for a person because he knows him even though he may not be qualified for any office. He promises you the world and you believe him. The great depression came roaring through my life at a very early age and I was on my own from age twelve on and I decided that I was a democrat because I was told that the Republicans caused the depression. I was washing dishes for my food at a cafe and running from work to school, back to dishes at eleven and running back to school at one. Football after school and then back to the cafe till nine when I went to the fire station where the good firemen had given me a bunk to sleep in for my sweeping and mopping the living quarters of firemen. On Saturdays I had a shoe shining kit and shined shoes on a downtown street. A few times I was run off my beat by a grown man who was also shining shoes. One of my best spots was always just outside a beer hall- I shined one drunks shoes three times in one afternoon. He was about out of it on the last one. He did look good though with those shined shoes along with his red nose and bleary eyes. The president was Franklin D. Roosevelt and he started a maize of federal job type programs and one was called the N.Y.C. for young boys and I got on that. I swept the floors of the school each morning before school hours and oil mopped the floors on Saturdays. I also joined the National Guard when I reached sixteen. Legal age to join was eighteen but many of us simply lied about our age and the officers let us in even though they knew the truth. My two older brothers had been awarded athletic

scholarships in college and moved me with them to the college

town. They found me a place to stay and I walked two miles each day to milk the lady's cow for my board and room. Even though I have always been a democrat I can no longer see any difference between the two parties and they both smell. I have never played golf with Jack, Ike or Gerald, roasted peanuts with Jimmy. nor double dated interns with Bill, parachuted with George, rode horses with Ronnie, opened gates with Richard nor played touch football with John but I'm still happy. I want the next man who asks for my vote, will promise to outlaw lobbyist's and work to pass a line item veto bill. Force our lawmen to work at least a 40 hour week. Outlaw the free junkets that the lawmen are forever taking. Outlaw it.

Buckle up, Drive with Care, Put on A Life Jacket and I'll See You on the Lake.