Now it came to pass that a group existed that called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in all the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry. Week after week and month after month and year after year those that called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. Year after year they carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation and declared that fishing is the primary task of the fisherman. These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings for local fishing headquarters. The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and that everyone should fish. However, one thing they didn't do: they didn't fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, to promote the idea of fishing in far away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colors lived. Also, the board hired staff and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and the committee members did not fish. Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years, courses were offered on the needs of the fish, the nature of the fish, how to find a fish, the psychological reaction of the fish and how to approach and feed a fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishiology. But the teachers did not fish. They only taught about fishing.
Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish large fishing guides. Presses were kept busy night and day to produce materials solely devoted to fishing methods, equipment and programs to arrange and encourage meetings to talk about fishing. A speakers bureau was also provided a schedule: Special speakers on the subject of fishing. After one stirring meeting, on the quote "necessity of fishing", two young fellows left the meeting and went fishing. The next day the first fellow reported he had caught 25 fish! It turned out just to be a fish story. The other young man actually did catch two outstanding fish and he was honored for his excellent catch as if something special had been done, and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit fishing in order to have time to tell the experience with the other fishermen. He was also placed on the fishermen's general board as a person having considerable experience.
Now, it's true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and boar the smell of dead fish. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen's clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen but never fished. They wondered about those who felt that it was little use to attend these meetings and talk about fishing. After all, weren't they following the master who said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men"? Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don't fish, were not really fishermen no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if year after year after year he never catches a fish? Is one following if he is not fishing?
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