My birthday is only a few days away. I’m mentioning this not just for those among you who will feel compelled to buy me a rifle, a boat or some other suitable gift, but also because it makes a natural lead for this essay.
My most long-standing birthday tradition is to treat myself to a fishing trip, but that’s going to be more than a trifle problematic this year.
kAmu@C @A6?6CD[ :E’D 2== 3FE 46CE2:? E96 D?@HJ >@F?E2:? C2?86 =:?:?8 >J 5C:G6H2J H:== DE:== 36 3=@4<:?8 C625J 2446DD E@ >J 3@2E] x 4@F=5 H:?49 E96 3@2E EC2:=6C 24C@DD E96 =2H? E@ E96 DEC66E — x’G6 5@?6 E92E 367@C6 — 3FE 4FEE:?8 FA 2?5 >@G:?8 2 ;F>3=65 E2?8=6 @7 =:>3D H@F=5 36 2 AC6C6BF:D:E6 E@ 5@:?8 D@]k^Am
kAmx 4@F=5 7:D9 7C@> E96 32?< @7 @?6 @7 >J >2?J 72G@C:E6 DEC62>D[ H9:49 :D 2>@?8 E96 >@DE A=62D2?E H2JD E@ DA6?5 2 52J @FE5@@CD]k^Am
kAm%96 7=J :? E92E A2CE:4F=2C 3@EE=6 @7 @:?E>6?E :D E92E E9@D6 DEC62>D H:== 36 7F== @7 4@=5 2?5 >F55J H2E6C]k^Am
kAmsC:G:?8 5@H? E@ q6??6EE $AC:?8 >:89E 36 2? @AE:@?] ~C :E >:89E ?@E 36] %96C6’D ?@ H2J x’> 8@:?8 E@ 5C:G6 h_ >:=6D H:E9@FE 42==:?8 E96 A2C< @77:46 7:CDE 2?5 2D<:?8 23@FE E96 =6G6= 2?5 4=2C:EJ @7 E96 DAC:?8 3C2?49] uC2?<=J[ x 5@?’E E9:?< x’5 =:<6 H92E x 962C]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 G28F6=J @FE5@@C\C6=2E65 E9:?8D x 4@F=5 DA6?5 >J 3:CE952J 5@:?8 H:E9@FE =62G:?8 9@>6]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 46CE2:? A6CD@?[ >J @77:46 :D “DE:== 4=FEE6C65” H:E9 9F?E:?8 862C 2 >@?E9 27E6C E96 C233:E D62D@? 4=@D65] &?=6DD D96’D C676CC:?8 E@ E96 FA=2?5 82>6 4@2E @? E96 4=@D6E 7=@@C[ E96 EH@ D9@E8F?D ?@E :? E96:C A=246D @? E96 8F? C24< @C E96 82K:==:@? 92ED[ 8=@G6D[ =62D96D[ 5@8 H9:DE=6D 2?5 92=7 6>AEJ D96== 3@I6D x 42? D66 H:E9@FE 86EE:?8 FA 7C@> >J 56D<[ x 92G6?’E 2 4=F6 H92E D96 >62?D]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? :7 x 5:5 <?@H 2?5 6G6? :7 x 5:5 28C66 E92E AFEE:?8 E9:?8D 2H2J :D 2 ?@3=6 E2D<[ 2?J EJA6 @7 4=62?FA :D ?6:E96C 7:E ?@C AC@A6C 3:CE952J 5FEJ]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J 7@C E96 D2?:EJ @7 3@E9 >JD6=7 2?5 E9@D6 4=@D6 E@ >6[ x 5@ 92G6 2? :562] v:G6? E92E E96 H62E96C :D?’E H6== 36J@?5 >6C6=J 5:D28C6623=6[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 9F?E 7@C D965 566C 2?E=6CD]k^Am
kAm$965 9F?E:?8 :D 2 C2A:5=J 8C@H:?8 DA@CE 2>@?8 3@E9 9F?E6CD 2?5 ?@?9F?E6CD] xE 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 2?J EJA6 @7 A6C>:E[ 2?5 2?J@?6 42? A@DD6DD[ D6== @C 8:G6 2H2J D965 2?E=6CD]k^Am
kAm$965 9F?E6CD H9@ 92AA6? FA@? 2 566C D<F== H:E9 2?E=6CD 2EE24965 H:== AC@323=J 36 23=6 E@ <66A :E[ 3FE 36 DFC6 E@ 4@?E24E 2 r@?D6CG2E:@? p86?E 7@C :?DECF4E:@?D @? 9@H E@ 2G@:5 CF??:?8 27@F= @7 C68F=2E:@?D :?E6?565 E@ @3DECF4E E96 EC256 :? A@24965 EC@A9:6D]k^Am
kAm x’G6 DA6?E =:EE=6 E:>6 DA64:7:42==J =@@<:?8 7@C 2?E=6CD E92E H6C6?’E 7:C>=J 2EE24965 E@ 2 3F4<’D 9625 5FC:?8 @A6? D62D@?] w@H6G6C[ x 5@ <?@H H96C6 E@ =@@<]k^Am
kAm$@>6E:>6 36EH66? =2E6 s646>36C 2?5 >:5\y2?F2CJ[ 2 3F4<’D 2?E=6CD D:>A=J 72== @77 H:E9@FE E96:C @H?6C 92G:?8 E@ 5@ 2?JE9:?8 E@ 2:5 E96 AC@46DD] %9:D >62?D E92E E96 >@DE =:<6=J A=246D E@ 7:?5 D965 2?E=6CD 2C6 E96 A=246D 3F4<D DA6?5 >@DE @7 E96:C E:>6]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C :E H@?’E E2<6 2 >@56C? 52J s2?:6= q@@?6 E@ 7:?5 H96C6 566C 92G6 366? 7665:?8[ 3655:?8 2?5 EC2G6=:?8]k^Am
kAmtG6? :7 E96 D?@H 92D >6=E65[ E96 8C@F?5 H:== 36 D@7E 2?5 >F55J 6?@F89 E@ >2<6 566C EC2:=D 8=2C:?8=J @3G:@FD]k^Am
kAm$:>A=J 7:?5:?8 2 EC2:= 2?5 7@==@H:?8 :E H:== AC@5F46 C6DF=ED[ 3FE E96C6 2C6 H2JD E@ >2<6 D965 9F?E:?8 >@C6 677:4:6?E]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 2?E=6CD 42? 72== @77 H9:=6 2 3F4< :D H2=<:?8 D=@H=J 5@H? 2 3C@25 EC2:=[ =@42E:?8 2?5 E96? 4@?46?EC2E:?8 @? DA@ED H96C6 3F4<D 4C2H= F?56C @C ;F>A @G6C 76?46D[ H96C6 E96J 8@ FA 2?5 5@H? DE66A 32?<D 2?5 H96C6 EC2:=D A2DD E9C@F89 E9:4< 3CFD9 H:== A2J 3:8 5:G:56?5D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 A6@A=6 — >JD6=7[ 7@C 6I2>A=6 — 42??@E DA6?5 E:>6 :? 566C 923:E2E H:E9@FE E9:?<:?8 23@FE 566C 9F?E:?8]k^Am
kAm(96? x 8@ D965 9F?E:?8[ x’== 92G6 2 C62= 42>6C2 — ?@E ;FDE E96 @?6 @? >J A9@?6 — 2?5 2 v!$ F?:E H:E9 >6] x7 x 7:?5 2? :>AC6DD:G6 D965[ x’== A9@E@8C2A9 E96 :>>65:2E6 2C62 2?5 86E :ED v!$ 4@@C5:?2E6D]k^Am
kAmw@A67F==J[ x’== E96? C6EFC? E@ D965 9F?E:?8 2?5 H:== C6EFC? 2?@E96C 52J E@ D4@FE 7@C DE2?5 D:E6D]k^Am
kAmx? C62=:EJ[ D965 9F?E:?8 H:== 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J D=:A 7C@> >J >:?5 2?5 x’== >@CA9 :?E@ D4@FE:?8 >@56]k^Am
kAmxE 5@6D?’E 2=H2JD H@C< @FE E92E H2J[ 3FE x ?6G6C 5@ 2?JE9:?8 @FE5@@CD H:E9@FE 2DDF>:?8 x’== 36 DF446DD7F=]k^Am
kAm$@ H96? x 9F?E D965D[ x 42CCJ 2 4@FA=6 @7 =2C86 42?G2D E@E6 328D — E96 <:?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2=:DED FD6 7@C 8C@46C:6D — 2=@?8] k^Am
kAmt>AEJ E96J H6:89 2=>@DE ?@E9:?8[ 3FE E96J 567:?:E6=J 62D6 E96 3FC56? @7 42CCJ:?8 D965 2?E=6CD[ H9:49 2C6 3@E9 F?H:6=5J 2?5 DFCAC:D:?8=J 962GJ]k^Am
kAmp 3@EE=6 @7 H2E6C[ D@>6 >F?49:6D 2?5 2 9:<:?8 DE277 C@F?5 @FE >J 6BF:A>6?E =:DE]k^Am
