I picked one of my first blogs to compare. It’s time to see how far my writers drift (that I just wrote about here) has gone. I think I’m someone else. The following is a blog I wrote 10 years ago on April fools day back when I just started and none of my readers would click the “like” button. It was OK. I didn’t know what the like button was for back then. The jury is out (I mean far out…). The links still work, yea!
I thought it was a great idea! I could start an outdoors club in our area under the guise of “Storytellers Anonymous”. Cretian Certain relatives and friends would pay us to go!!!It would probably be a great fund raiser for the next high school band trip!
I can see it now; Johnny to old aunt mae“I’m raising funds to send our band to Washington DC to play for the president” Aunt Mae “I’m not paying you kids any money do such a thing!” Johnny “please Aunt mae, If we raise $1000 apiece our dads have to go to Storytellers ananymous for a whole year”. Aunt Mae “I’ll give you $2000 myself to see that happen” Johnny “but I only need $1000”, Aunt Mae “I want him there for two years and he can’t get off for good storytelling”
Just my way of helping all those outdoors people hobnob and plan their next outings and socially connect with the “others”. Of course they promise to learn how to tell their adventures in such a way that words, phrases, facial expression, and gestures would make people come alive, hanging vicariously on every word that came out of our mouths. “So Real, I’m living it, I could listen forever” would be common expressions of friends, enemies, and other relatives of those involved with the secret club know as “Storytellers Anonymous” (eye roll please except uncle Fred. That one glass eye of yours doesn’t roll with the other one and that freaks me out).
We would help each other with the proper embellishments due to the story. The logic behind embellishment is that a told story is not even close to the same as living it. I propose that proper embellishment can help the listener almost experience the excitement, fears, nightmares that night,and adrenaline (OK I haven’t worked the adrenaline part out yet) that accompanies good story telling techniques. One reaches a whole new level of holding the audience breathless when you believe the story yourself. Just a heads up: psychologists disagree with me on where that level is, and have strange beliefs about the really good story tellers and where they should live
Now I know this fish was caught through two feet of ice in three feet of water on a stick with some line on it. You should hear him tell it!
Being I am posting this on April fools day, Those of you who do not know me in person but read the blogs – know I would never exaggerate on any other day(cough-hack-twinge of TGIA1st).
For another good April 1st blog, check out my niece Elena’s here
Yes the Billy Joel kid can fish. pictured above (I’m mixing in Elena’s blog here)
Someday some of my extreme wilderness bear stories and wild rescue stories will be told here and only here. No one else has the rights to my life’s adventures so only at www.Garyfultz.com can you get it…or around a campfire at night on one of my trips. I will tell you about how a bear got our food pack hanging 15 feet in the air between two trees, grabbed most of the food. I went after the bear with a flashlight in my teeth at 2AM and got it back. True story but working on reverse embellishments or you really wouldn’t believe me. Maybe I’ll tell it like it is because I believe it!
Have a good April Fools day!
If you would like to learn how to write better than me, do nothing. However if you want to get good at it I strongly recommend Kristen Lambs blogs on writing and social networking. Good stuff
Advertisment: Top secret photo-shop lessons given next STA meeting
Gary
Conclusion: Sigh…I think I have grown old and more serious. Life beat us up quite a bit in 10 years. parents now gone, a good friend gone, life flights with our middle daughter, 2 surgeries and a job loss. Lots of floundering. I think I need to recapture some humor. Seriously! go ahead, comment away those who have read my posts before. I can t-t-ta-take it.
garyfultz 
Hmmm . . . . Well Gary, I wonder if this isn’t so much a case of writer’s drift as an Ecclesiastical case of “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” A season to tell tall tales and a season to share life’s wisdom. Both are needed. Both have a season. It is a wise man like yourself who as it was said about the men of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”
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I sure like the wisdom of your comment Beth. Thank You. knowing myself somewhat well helps me realize I do have a focused objective at present. When I started out it was more a case of just writing something and figuring out the computer enough to have some of my jumbled-run-on sentences appear on the internet.After awhile my secondary goal was to show my wife and get more than an um…okay
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Brilliant!
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Thanks Linda, It was a shoot from the hip style post (on a good day?) I think.
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That’s the best kind of writing 🙂
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Ten years ago eh, that’s pretty gutsy for an old fella! Well done Gary! Blessings!
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Thanks Bruce.
Yep, 10 years. Wow, I was sure in a different place in life.
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Well you’re not alone there Gary, seems like a very different world now doesn’t it? God bless you Gary.
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I like both Gary’s—now and then. The now Fultz uses far fewer words and lets the reader fill in the story. The Gary back then was good too, but there’s not much left for me to imagine. I like the humor of both Gary’s though.
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Thanks David. It was hard for me to copy and paste an old blog without editing all over the place. I have been trying to say more with less words for most of those 10 years. I constantly remind myself that readers want to get out of the car and explore the island themselves no matter how wise and knowledgeable the tour guide. Then come the questions and discoveries in conversation. The comments section for me is the litmus test.
Then there is humor. May it stalk all of us and jump into our posts now and then.
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The comment section is the litmus test. I like it, Gary! A good story is inviting someone in—putting out the welcome mat—but it’s their mirror that let’s us see how our story landed. Someone once called this type of writing like an “elevator pitch.” We have 30 seconds to get someone’s attention and make them want to stay onboard with us. After all, most folks are busy an aren’t necessarily headed to the same floor as us. The key is to engage them enough so they want to hear more—stay on the elevator.
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“elevator pitch.” I like that illustration. It’s a part of my motivation for conversation. I have never thought of myself as a writer as much as a communicator. Thus my time spent on comments is important even though sometimes I do not know what comment back would be coming along-side; another important element of communicating beyond a one time meet and greet
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Now that’s a great story.
I am impressed by your definition of embellishment–
“One reaches a whole new level of holding the audience breathless when you believe the story yourself.”
That is true, I think. When the storyteller infuses the tale with his/her enthusiasm a whole world opens up for the reader.
Thank you Gary.
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Thanks Suzette. embellishment is like blowing up a balloon in a crowd. Two things to remember are: #1) Never exceed the maximum capacity of the balloon. #2) there is always somebody with a pin handy.
I learned that as a kid. In answering my mothers “What Happened?” she always had a pin.
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Yes! That pin is the key 🤣
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Well my friend I have good news and bad. First good. I love it. Bad news. I expect more or I will be forced to put a terrible curse on you where the fish will no longer bite your hook. My friend I thank you for the laugh. Absolutely loved it.
Unfortunately hardships in live tend to put out the fires of creativity. What you did by comparing them. Now you have some embers again. Feed them slowly until they ignite into the flames of creativity. I’m cheering for you. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us.
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Thanks Wayne, I think. I have been feeling some embers lately on the creativity. However, If the fish don’t bite I’ll lose my creativity….(everybody lookin at Wayne…)
you definitely threw a few coins of wisdom in my coffer. thank You.
It was an eye opener about myself looking back on a few of my first posts.
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You know I could never put a curse on you like that. If I did that we wouldn’t get to hear the stories about the big one that got away.
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Sigh…and , double sigh.
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Referring to you conclusion, I know the feeling, Gary, so much can happen in a decade, been there myself, confronting one’s mortality, etc…
Yeh, we can all lighten up at times as we mature, but then mature cheese is so good! Quite honestly, I like and enjoy you just as you are right now! How our younger set needs ‘spiritual fathers’ like you.
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I like who I am right now also Erroll. I hope I keep growing However, I have lately realized that I have different circles of relationships that see me differently. The music guy, the story teller, the theology teacher, helpful neighbor, fellow blogger, So on. Probably as we all do. I hope that the stories at my funeral, will not contradict (“he was serious all the time…I never saw him serious”…so on). If I add more humor, I hope it will only enhance my message and not cause “drift”
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Magnificent !! Well done Gary. Love it.
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Thank You Crissy. I think it’s good to look back so one can grow forward. Sometimes when I put on my creative hat, the funny button falls off
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Wow! That’s a damn good catch! 👍
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And the big one got away!! (that’s another story though)
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😅
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I think your sense of humor has followed you through all your blogging years and that is a good thing! It is good to look back at where we were 10 years ago and where we are today. Things change a lot in a decade. That is the one really good thing about writing, keeping a journal, and taking photographs. We record so much that we can look back on and share with others. I like to think we grow wiser with time…but we learn a lot from the past as well.
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A part of it (humor) has Linda. Sometimes growth in life is not matched by growth in communicating it. You are so right about keeping a journal, pictures and looking back to make sure we are not just doing circles thinking we are going somewhere. I have realized I have left some pieces of humor, music and friendships on the trail and hope to pick up some I have dropped, most likely in living crisis to crisis for a few of those years. Possibly a perk to living in the woods in one big snow drift.
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Spring is a good time to pick up some of those missing pieces…may you find them one by one. Listening to music often helps me to understand things better…even the very hard things in life.
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We evolve in our lives and in our writing. It’s like we get to capture ourselves at the moment in time. And we learn how different we may have been in the past. I for one am so grateful to have found your blog!
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Thank You Stephanie. You would know a lot about that evolvement. you also have a lot of “through the fire” growth. Yes, I am glad of our blog connections both ways.
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Gary, Uncle Fred’s eye and embellishment-I giggled a lot. I’d like to hear more of the Bear story! A decade goes by so fast; but yet, the things that occur seems as if they’re at a stand-still at times. My health, relationships, bankrupcty, my sons moving away, family health issues, career change, living in my R.V. to “find myself” again,…I’m definitely not who I was 10 years ago. Or even pre-pandemic. I’m trying very hard to keep my humor. I’ve always had a funny bone and it has served me well. I walk a fine line of humor and cynicism at times-so I take it to the Lord to reshape my humorous bone when I ask for healing. 🙂 I enjoy your writing and adventures, Gary! I’m so glad to know you! Thank you for sharing!!!
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And I enjoy your blog as well Karla. Sometimes I don’t want to look in life rear view mirror until I can face certain things about myself and intentionally grow in areas lacking. You are tackling life well and doing it with the Lord. It’s hard for me to accept what seems to be true, that our best growth comes from the deepest pain.
It is good for humor to be a close friend so we can laugh at ourselves first. Your last 10 years sounds really rough. Keep that funny bone in good shape
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Thank you, Gary. I appreciate your wisdom and support. I can find the humor, even in tears at times. I’ll keep it in check and stay close to Christ! Take care!
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The you then and now sure still loves some good adventure. 😁
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That is very true Mercy. Adventure is in my DNA or the other way around as it keeps finding me even when I am standing around doing nothing…Growing up, my mother tried to get to the bottom of my nothing all the time.
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Haha. And I can imagine how suspicious of you she must have been, when you are not. 😅
I used to be that way, but somehow I’m on the calmer side of things now. 🙈
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WE WANT ALL OF THE EXTREME WILD BEAR AND WILDERNESS STORIES.
And we want them NOW!!!
For me, you’ve taken story-telling to an entirely new level – as if we had LITERALLY been there – and in case you were wondering where exactly – in ALL of them!
I shall follow thee from this day forward, o thou master of the told tale!
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Now that’s funny Eva. And, men are not supposed to giggle.
I do kind of intersperse stories in my blogs (10 years of them), and I do have some people wanting a book put out, but I’m too busy fishing, or living out another adventure, or healing from another accident prone mishap. Here’s a good one to start… https://garyfultz.com/2021/02/23/stunt-double/
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Nice April Fool’s past. However, I have a story that still shocks me.
There’s a large dam at Possum Kingdom Lake in west Texas. The soil is red a non d sandy, and so is the water. One of my cousins worked with structural engineers who would dive down to the bottom of the dam as they examined its integrity each year. The first time he was there with the divers, most of the engineers came back up quickly saying they wouldn’t go back. They found giant catfish down at the bottom of the dam, some large enough to swallow Jonah.
About 10 years later, two college kids nabbed a catfish there at 150# or so. I saw the photo from the newspaper. The two of them were struggling to hold it up horizontal to the ground. I still have that clipping somewhere.
Never say never, I guess.
God’s grip – Alan
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Thanks for the story Alan. That is one monster catfish and would be dangerous to small kids swimming. I have heard those stories about super monster catfish since I was a kid. I had not heard of anyone catching one on hook and line, I saw a picture of a sturgeon caught in the commercial fishing nets as a kid (625#, they get really big). But Northern pike and lake trout stories abound with none caught at twice record size.
Most people assume I photoshopped my header picture. It’s actually the real deal at 46″ caught out of a canoe with no net, so kind of a reverse April fools. I got a picture and released it. However, the big pike of my nephews was blown up to twice the size for a joke by my son…I don’t know how to do that. I tell my grandkids that the more fish they catch, the better at story telling they will become.
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Thank you for your consistent support Gary. I appreciate it. And thanks for your prayers.
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You are welcome RJ. I am not online as much as most bloggers/writers. I am a caregiver with my wife of an extremely handicapped (in body only) daughter, and a caretaker of a family estate in my retirement.
I do take the time to be in touch with people (like you and several others in various parts of the world) who seem to be a step ahead of the rest of the world as they are led more by God than anything or anyone else.
As a perspective, God’s ways are mostly opposite of ours. The most valuable asset in the battle is prayer. It’s ironic that one can pray till their last breath with the will of God as He gives unction and be more productive than a million brilliant speakers across the world.
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Amen. Thank you Gary. The Lord Jesus loves you and He cares.
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So are we running this 3 weeks early to do some test marketing for the big day?
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HAHA Pete..Shhh, most people skim read and don’t catch that.
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One thing I know for sure – we all need a little humor! “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”! Proverbs 17:22 Thanks, Gary!
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So true Cindy. Otherwise we take ourselves too seriously.
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