“I once caught a very large, very old catfish. Or rather, I once encountered one. Unlike every other fish I ever hooked, it didn’t fight at all. In fact, I didn’t believe I had a fish. I thought I caught a log. Felt like a log. Didn’t fight. No vibration on the line. Dead steady.

It was dark. When I finally got my ‘log’ near the shore, I couldn’t actually tell it was a fish. Even when I first looked at it, I ‘saw’ a log. Then when I reached down to attempt to retrieve my gear from this ‘huge snag’… the monster came to life.

It looked me right in the eye, and snapped the line in an instant.

This fish had been caught before. And unlike me, it actually understood the nature of struggle and survival. Unlike youths and the ignorant, this fish taught me something invaluable.

Save the fight for when it matters, and until then?

Present no apparent resistance.”

— Catfish Wisdom