Hook, Line, & Sinker
"I blunder I bluster I blowe and I blother." [J. Skelton, Magnyfycence (?1530), OED]
So, here we are — wherever “here” is -- still dazed, still wondering what hit us. We do know this: those responsible for landing us here had other choices, just like we did. They simply chose differently. Some were gung-ho for the declared winner right from the get-go; others had to be persuaded. Some opted out on declaring a choice at all, thereby influencing the outcome in their own way. At any rate, a whole slew of people — blinded by flashy gold lures & wowed by snake oil salesmen — swallowed a gigantic bill of goods — hook, line, and sinker. The rest of us, tripped up & tangled in the line, are being dragged along for the ride. I wonder if those who got what they wanted will realize in the near future that once you get a hook in you, it’s not that easy to get out — and it hurts like the devil.
I know, because I got a fish hook stuck in my hand once. I was seven — a dedicated fisherman of the string, hook, and earthworm variety. On a week-long family vacation in Maine, I spent every spare minute fishing. As long as I wore a life-jacket, I was even allowed to leave the dock by myself in the little rowboat that came with the place, and row out into the cove to drop my line.
On one of those lovely summer afternoons, upon returning home (with no fish), I was climbing out of the boat and onto the dock when suddenly, I stepped on the line by mistake. It jerked sharply taut, and the hook, which I’d been holding in one hand, drove deep into my finger with the worm still on it. I tied up the boat and ran into the house, where there was no one home except for the baby — who had woken from her nap — and the car was gone.
Luckily a neighbor happened by soon after, and found me and the baby both in tears. She was standing up in the crib, crying for me to pick her up, while I stood miserably showing her the fish hook stuck in my hand, trying to explain why I couldn’t. Mother soon returned, and into town we went, to get the problem dealt with.
Dr. Prickum (I’m not joking — that was actually his real name) began by pushing the hook even further in, forcing the tip out the other side of my finger. The next step in his plan was to cut off the now-exposed barb so the remainder of the hook could be withdrawn whence it came. To this end he began a rather lengthy rummaging through various supply drawers, looking for the tool he needed. Alas, ‘twas not to be found. So instead he proceeded to Plan B: using a pair of pliers, he squeezed the two points of the barb together and then pulled the whole hook back out, shriveled worm and all. Not exactly a pleasant experience for a person of any age. After that, I sided with the fish and decided I’d switch professions & become a naturalist.
But back to NOW: the hook's deep in the flesh, the rotting bait stinks, and it hurts like hell to be tangled in this mess. So what should we do? Here's a link to the best advice I've heard this week, from The Ezra Klein Show: Don't Believe Him. I urge you to listen to it. It helps me understand why we feel so overwhelmed, so confused and unable to spot any emergency exits. It helps by showing clearly how we’re being strategically manipulated through bombardment and overload. The technique has frozen us in place — like deer in the headlights — paralyzed with fear, panic, and anxiety — temporarily unable to move or think, fight or take flight. Temporarily.
Understanding this is a really important place to start. More clarity on our best courses of action are emerging and will continue to emerge over the next few weeks. In the meantime, focus on the one thing right in front of you. Don’t fall for that worn-out bait.
Thank you for the link!
Dr. Prickum didn't know the best trick in the book for removing a barbed fish hook from a hand... which consists of placing a loop of strong fish line around the bend of the hook, holding the eye of the hook tight against the hand the hook is stuck into, and giving a quick, hard yank on the strong loop of fish line in the opposite direction the hook point is pointing. This puts tension on just the right section of the hook bend and the hook simply pops out backwards, barb and all. Sounds crazy but it works. I have done it to somebody else and had it done to me.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and the link to the Ezra Klein show! I felt quite a bit better after following the repeated caution:"Don't Believe Him" !