Taken Them Special "Kids" a Fishen

Well the boys reckon that it be about time to hop in the Vette and scoot off to Floredy. They pile in a couple of to go boxes a filled to the bream with Varsity chili dawgs and onions to hold them over to the first ateing stop. It be about 500 miles to Sorysota from Atlanta so Clem figgers that they should get there in about 6 hours includen stops to potty and ate and potty again. Out on I75 heading to the South, Clem lets the big dog eat and puts the Vette through her paces. That there car is faster than a butt-ugly girl in a kissen booth at the Crisp County fair. Clem says he has been there done that…

Sooner than use knows it, our heroes arrive at exit number 37 in Sorysota. Theys to meet theys friend, the Sorysota, FL, scuber man at hissen new dive center on this same road. Bubba gets reel confused causen this here road be a called Clark Road outr here and closer to town the same road be called Stickney Point Road. Clem a tells him not to ponder on it to much.

Theys pull into the parken lot and take the tour of the dive center. Bubba likes it a bunch.

They frigger it be time to tie on the feedbag so Clem axes Bubba what he wants to ate. Bubba ponders about a hundredth of a second and says he a wants fish. For fish supper they go over to Captain Trips house. He be the bestest fish cooker what ever lived. The Capn fixes up a pile of fried hogfish in his special batter and a mound of them delicious hush pups; they also has grilled garlic bread and apple sauce and sum tartering sauce. Bubba ates like a condemned man and then takes to laying on the floor out on the patio after ateing more than a half a Key Lime pie. Clem makes him stay outside in case he gets, no, when he gets the gas. The Capn's dogs come and lay down with Bubba. Bubba's vapors will keep the fleas away.

Well the morning comes at half past dark thirty and theys all aboard the Giant Stride fer the cruse from Venice to Sorysota, about 20 miles. Capn Trip is at the helm along with his daddy, the Sorysota, FL, scuber man, theys friend Larry the Lectrician and his daughter, and Bubba and Clem.

Theys stop at Hearts Landing to buy some shrimps for bait, then ease on over to the Sorysota Outboard Club, the HQ for the event. Capn Trip says that theys gotta get there early to get a dock space since the Giant Stride is the biggest boat there each year. This year will be the 11th year in a row they has been in the event. When he expertly backs the Stride in a slip, theys shee a bunch of folks already there including camera men from a whole bunch of TV stations, some come from as far as Tampa, some 60 miles away. Cap'n Trip tells Bubba and Clem that theys always a TV camera crew on the Stride each year and that when the cameras are a rolling to stay out of his daddy's way, since he is the consummate camera hog. The Sorysota, FL, scuber man is friends with some of the TV people and always gets interviewed at the tournament. He also has the ugliest hat what ever were made too. He traded some underwear to a feller in jail down in El Salvador for that straw hat about 15 years ago.

The physically challenged folks arrive in several special buses and are placed on the boats. The physical disabilities range from minor to big time. The Giant Stride usually gets several folks in wheel chairs. These "kids" range in age from teens to 40's. These wonderful people cannot even hold the fishen pole. But theys attitude and smile is infectious.

Cap'n Trip and his brave and fearless crew catch up a mess of mango snappers ( them be called Mangrove Snappers in case you ignert yankees wanna know ) for the "kids". One little girl, who has no use of hands and legs and speech is extremely difficult, brakes out in a smile that would put ole Mona Lisa to shame. Bubba holds the fish up close so she can see it better. Low and behold, that precious child leans her head toward that little fish and kisses it. Of course the TV crew is rolling film.

CBS News picks up that story and film and airs it on the national news with Dan Rather. Bubba and that precious child is famous. He wonders ifin that yankee gal seen him on the TV set?

Bubba is so touched that he now realizes that his so-called broke heart is insignificant and no so important nomore. He now knows that hissen worse problems are nuthen compared to regular life events for that precious child. He has a tear running down his cheek now but not a sorrow filled one but one of happiness. All aboard the Giant Stride has a great time.

Cap'n Trip heads the sleek vessel back to the dock. Everybody disembarks. It’s a real chore to get the wheel chair bound folks off the boat. Bubba jus picks them and chair up like a down pillow and sits em on the dock.

It's hot out there today, real hot, 95 F in the shade, and Bubba is a sweating like a red neck writing a check. But he plum don't care. He is so thankful that he is able bodied and glad that he can help them special folks have a day on the boat like this one.

All has a special lunch of hot dawgs and burgers and every "kid" is presented an award for being in the tournament. There are no losers at this event. Bubba only ates 5 of them dawgs.

This event touches every able bodied person who is there. Many tears are shed. Clem says that "by the grace of God there goes him" when he waves bye to his new special friends with nary a dry eye. Bubba and Clem axe if they can be a part of the crew on the Giant Stride next year…

TO BE CONTINUED