"You Can't Live Tomorrow Today"
- Guide Kendell Powery

By Will Edwards

Photo of Fly Fishing Guide Kendall Powery. Photo by Knox Kronerberg.

For the fifth fishing day in a row, I got skunked. This was extremely frustrating to me. Last year I caught two permits and multiple bonefish, catching these fish was almost purely luck. I’ve never considered myself an advanced saltwater fly fisherman. But after that experience catching so many fish, I had high expectations for this year. My expectations were defeated when the only fish I caught were a baby snook and a snapper who stole my fly from a big bonefish. After a few days of catching nothing I started to get extremely frustrated. For a little while, I let my frustration get the best of me. It wasn’t until I was sitting on the boat and Kendall said “you can’t live tomorrow today”, that I realized I was focused too much on the future. All my thoughts were dominated by hoping a fish would appear soon or hoping I’d catch something the next day. But that mentality is what had been defeating me the whole time. Here in Guanaja, the people live their lives one day at a time. It seems that in the United States we are all focused on more. Whether it’s having more money, status, success, or anything else, we are constantly chasing something in the future. I just graduated high school and will be attending college this year. So my senior year of high school was one of the most stressful years of my life. I felt like I constantly had to look ahead and completely figure out my future at such a young age. I lived the majority of this past year dwelling in the future. But coming to Guanaja this week was a reminder that you can’t plan everything out and that you should live your life one day at a time. The people here don’t have many of their basic needs met yet they live each day as a new one and make it work. They are the happiest group of people I’ve ever met. No one here greets you without a smile on their face. I think that’s because of how fully present the Bonaccan people are. As I’m going into college and entering a professional career afterwards, I hope I bring with me the mindset of these people. Things don’t always go how you want them to and you can’t foresee some circumstances. So be fully present each day, and soak up the little things that you might not notice if you were dwelling on the future. Even if it is something as simple as fishing, it’s important to live and act completely in the moment.

Will Edwards, 18-years old, Richmond, Virginia.
Will is currently a freshman at Texas Christian University. He went on the Guanaja Fish for Change trip the past two summers and plans to keep going. He is very passionate about the outdoors, fly fishing and running. Fish for Change has created great memories and connected him with many lifelong friends.