Patience and the Rice Field

During rice planting season, water from the local river is allowed to overflow into our rich fields to where about three to five inches of water is covering the top of the ground. The water is replenished until the land is of a muddy consistency. The fields are ready when you can grab a handful of dirt and mold it pretty much into anything you want. The fields are divided into square sections separated only by handmade land barriers where people would normally walk.

One year, as my grampa was showing me how to test the ground, a huge catfish swam by. I immediately ran after it, trying my hardest to catch the fish with my bare hands. I did this for about 10 minutes falling exhausted on my knees before grampa finally said something.
“Where is he” Grampa said. “Over there on the corner”
“Here, help me barricade him” he instructed as he started to create a wall around the catfish.
“Okay, so once we barricade him, He won’t get a chance to go all over the place and I won’t have to chase him as much” I thought to myself.

When the barricade was completed, I jumped inside and began chasing after the fish.
Ten minutes later --- exhausted --- Grampa looked at me with a wink and a smile.
He motioned me to follow what he was doing --- taking water out from inside the barricade. After about five minutes, we successfully emptied the water and I was able to pick up the fish where it laid.

I wish I would have had the insight then to discern the importance of this lesson. Imagine where I’d be today...