Dating: Catch and Release or Keep?

Keeping with my fish theme I akin the dating game, and yes it is a game, to actual fishing. You have the fishermen that sport fish, they catch and release and keep catching and releasing. They do it for the thrill of catching the “big one” only to take a few pictures and let it go again. Then you have the fishermen who do it to keep their catch, it is done with the intent to eat or mount their prized catch.

You have two types of the catch and release players in the dating game. The first type are the ones who love the game, and only the game. They love the thrill, especially the thrill of catching the “big one.” Once the few second thrill is gone, they throw their fishie back into the sea with a nice little wound where their hook was. The other type of C&R players are the ones who are of the mindset “Iapparently want what I can’t have and don’t want what I can.” (This was an actual quote from an ex old school fishie of mine just the other day.) This is where the game becomes very confusing and where the most damage can be made to their once prized fishie. More on this later.

Now you have the keepers, there are many types of the keepers but in this article we will focus on two of them. You first have the type that keep the fish to eat them. They appreciate what nature has given them, they don’t treat fishing as a sport. It is waiting  for a good catch.. but catching for keeps. The second type is the keepers who would be C&Rs but need an ego boost or lack of self-esteem. They are the ones who love the thrill and sport of catching the fish only to mount it so everyone else will say “wow what a beautiful catch, how did you ever manage to catch one like that?”

Now, back to the C&Rs who don’t want what they have once they actually have it. You see they sit in their boat with their endorphins running high from the pursuit of the fish and subsequently from finally catching it. They admire their fish and don’t want to throw it back right away. After all this fishie made them feel accomplished and skillful. So after a little while they notice the fishie is trying harder and harder to breath. They are twitching less and less. The scene ofthe prized fishie has turned the fisherman from feeling accomplished and alive to feeling bored and even a little guilty, he made the fishie feel this way. He knows he has made the fish suffer and wounded, but the fishie doesn’t make him feel good anymore. So he has to get rid of it and throws it back into the sea; a gaping wound and severely oxygen deprived. He takes a little time to shake out the images from his head and the negative feelings he has, only to come back for some more fishing.

So now we have 4 types of guys: the players, the heartbreakers, the sideliners, and the users. Each has downfalls, yes even the sideliners. But the bigger question here is where do they fit in regards to the schools of fish; are they old school new school or the other school.. transitional? And what role does the game play in the schools, is it obsolete or needed? All of these questions will be answered in the next blog… so keep swimming!

And always…

Happy Fishing!