What does a trout have to do with social media trolls.
Please note: We had some mic troubles. Thanks for your patience. New mics have been ordered for July.
Listen to a recording of the article below being read with a discussion to follow.
I have no idea where this story came from. My family is from all over and most of them have gone fishing.
The story which is more like a lesson always went, “you need to be like a brown trout. You might see the lure. You might look at it for a while, but you won’t bite it.” According to my family, the brown trout is one of the hardest fish to catch since it’s so clever and it’s eyes see so clearly, it can spot a lure and won’t bite it.
In my family, we use the term “brown trout” as shorthand for, “was so clever, I didn’t take the bait”.
It can be used in all sorts of situations; some I’ve heard used in the family include:
“I heard some sketchy things about that guy from my friends, so when he came to talk to me, I was all brown trout, and blew him off.”
“The guy’s trying to get me to throw hands, but I’m all brown trout over here. I am not getting kicked out over some dude wanting to fight me.”
“She’s trying to pick fights with this other woman at work, and I just want to get in, do my work, and get out - so went all brown trout on her, and changed the subject.”
I bet you can see where this is going…
Social media.
How many times have you lost hours or even days when you bit on to something harmful to you?
I’ve been there. I’ve been a regular old fish fighting with all manner of hateful toxic people. I’ve gone to bed angry over something someone said. I’ve been pissed at people who fly in the face of logic and reason.
But here’s the thing, I fought a lot from 2016 to 2020, and none of those people changed for the better.
I lost ALL those hours.
Thinking about that horrifies me. In four years, there are 1460 days. Let's say I argued with some rando for 5 minutes a day - that’s 7300 minutes or about 122 HOURS.
How much art can you make in 122 hours? Just think about that. I have and I’m a bit disappointed in myself for letting that happen to me.
Starting in late 2020, I recalled this old family story and it has served me SO well. It’s actually one of the reasons I'm able to write this blog. I have more time to do productive things now.
I’m a brown trout.
I see that shiny lure drifting out on social media and I know it’ll catch me and steal my day from me.
I no longer bite the lures. It’s hard, but I don’t bite anymore. (If it’s really hard, I type a reply and delete it) There are plenty of other fish to bite those lures.
I’ll be over here, the hook-free brown trout, living my best life.
So my wonderful fellow fishes, I think it’s high time we all became brown trout - too smart to be caught.
Don’t bite. Make art instead.
Best of luck!
❤️
Sarah