Filosophy of Physing

[Mike G]

29 Unpacking # 28

Fishing is the horizon of being.

 

A heavy or dense statement like this has to be unpacked and spread out so we can see everything that is being said.

 

Just as one unpacks a moving van from the back, we begin at the end of the sentence. Being refers to human existence. It is not the kind of life one would choose. One is thrown into existence and constantly surrounded by threats the foremost being death. Worry and anxiety are constants. For contrast compare that with divine existence-perfect and unchanging. How do we deal with the threats of human existence without going crazy?

 

Next consider horizon. As one who suffered a lot from motion sickness, I have a deep appreciation of the horizon. I could not control the motion of a car or boat as it rose, twisted, and lurched. I could not control my body’s primal reaction. Many a fine breakfast went out the car window or over the rails. My body could not deal with the sensory overload. Then I learned the value of the horizon for a traveler. By keeping my eye on the horizon or referring to it frequently, I could travel without getting sick. The horizon provided stability within the turmoil of other sensations.

 

Now we can lay out the analogy. Just as the horizon provides stability amidst the chaos of sensations that cause motion sickness, fishing provides stability amidst the chaos of threats and worries that cause lunacy.

 

Fishing is the horizon of being.