Give It Line by Jack

Give It Line by Jack - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

I am a student, not a fisherman. So while considering a New Year's resolution, why would the thoughts of fishermen cross my mind? What could the life and times of those swarthy men and women that bait their hooks and cast their lines ever teach a land-lover like myself? How could such a different daily practice apply when it comes to becoming a better student? Nonetheless, my New Year's resolution came to me in the form of a common fishing term: give it line.

For those, like myself, who are unfamiliar with a majority of nautical terms, to give it line means to let a hooked fish reel out fishing line without opposition. In the case of my New Year's resolution, it means letting my mind do the same. As any student knows, the mind, like a fishing pole, is an essential tool of the trade. The most important part of being a good student is not memorizing definitions word for word, or being able to reel off times tables faster than anyone else. The most essential requirement of a healthy student is to use the mind: to think.

Thoughts are the fishing line of any students mind and if you have ever tangled up your fishing line, then you know just how much of a headache it can give you. As a line wades in a river, it is only natural that the sediments and plant life flowing down that river may become entangled throughout. The mind is also like a river, a fluid and constantly moving display of thoughts, images and intentions. When these pieces of the mind become rapidly entangled, it drags down your line of thought and suppresses it's full potential.

When a fish does bite it will often pull away, line in tow. A fisherman's first instinct might be to do the same, so as to produce a tug of war set on the back of the fishing line. Although this method can eventually reel in the fish, it will only do so after great amounts of tedious force and potentially detrimental overexertion. Temporarily disengaging from the tug of war, a seasoned fisherman allows the line to reel off freely for a short while, reengages with a fresh outlook and ultimately succeeds in a manner far less strenuous.

Meditation is a practice of non-engagement, of observing thoughts and letting them pass freely and uninhibited. Through meditation, I can relax my mind, so that when I reel my thoughts back in and return to my self, I have a fresh set of line all ready to go. So as a gift to my mind this New Year, I have decided to give it line through the practice of meditation. When those valuable pieces of knowledge bait an idea into biting, it will have all the line it needs to become a reality.