Rob DeHarpport’s outdoor report: Creating bonds, reconnecting with friends — they’re what count

By ROB DeHARPPORT/For The Herald — My report this week is a bit different. It’s more of a reflection upon the big picture, rather than an account of which lake is the hotspot for fishing and such.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska to fish with an old friend and schoolmate. It was my second trip to Ketchikan to fish with my friend Larry Warren who has lived in Alaska for several years. We grew up in Oakridge, attending Willamette City Elementary School, Westridge Junior High and Oakridge High School together.

As the years passed, after graduating like many, we lost touch. Also, today’s social media offered a way to connect with old friends.

Larry and I shared fishing, hunting and outdoor stories as we caught up as to what had transpired through our lives occasionally via Facebook, emails and by phone. We vowed to get together to fish someday either in Oregon, Idaho or Alaska. We finally got together to fish and “catch up” on our lives in Ketchikan last September and again last week. The fishing was fantastic on both trips, as were the stories we shared.

More importantly, I was reminded of the old cliche that “life is short.” Most all of us have lost family and friends. I was reminded of that fact while on the fishing off of the Revillagigedo Channel with Larry last week.

I received a message from another lifelong friend that another friend and former co-worker/boss had passed away due to an accident. It shook me up to learn this news. However, it reminded me to try to connect and stay in touch with other old friends and family as the death of a friend or family member surely always does.

That wasn’t the only epiphany that struck me. I was reminded of how fast the world has changed in my 62 years, both good and bad. One of the “good” changes is how easily we can communicate. Who could’ve dreamed of talking with a friend in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness 20 to30 years ago? Granted, the news I received while fishing was bad, tough to hear. But I was instantly informed.

According to another cliche, “change is the only constant in life.” We often fight and resist change and reminisce about “the good old days” and simpler times. Family, friendships and sharing our stories with each other are vital to our health and well-being. It’s funny to realize how connected we can be via modern technology nowadays and how that technology can bring old friends together to reminisce about the “days gone by.” All the while by enjoying the very things in life from those days gone by that often bring us together.

Fishing, hunting and simply enjoying the outdoors either in solitude or with family and friends are very important to many. Perhaps even more so in this high-speed world. There are many pursuits or hobbies that we can choose from.

In my opinion, not much in this world beats spending time outdoors. Fishing, hunting and the outdoor lifestyle so many of us love is what bonds us. Enjoying the outdoors gives us the power to connect and share stories around the campfire, moments like watching the sunrise or sunset, landing that big fish, watching whales breach, schools of salmon finning through the water and more.

These are the simple yet important things to be shared and passed on to our children and grandchildren. These are often the things that create bonds among family and friends. For this I am thankful. We can still enjoy the simpler things, and make these the “good old days.”

Pay it forward, pass these wonderful things on at every opportunity.

Rob DeHarpport, former mayor of Westfir, moved to the Crescent Lake community in 2015 shortly after retiring from a 31-year career in the trucking industry.