Best advice he got from his dad? ‘Doing the impossible just takes a little longer!’

“Roger, doing the impossible just takes a little longer!”

That’s what I heard from my dad every time I thought I couldn’t do something. It still rings in my ears each time I fish, as I remember how he tried to ingrain in me the will to overcome obstacles and patiently prevail. Funny how those statements instill themselves in your soul and become the touchstones of your life.

I was the oldest one in a family of four kids growing up on a ranch on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. My dad was ex-military, a staff sergeant at 21 in the Air Force , and a disciplinarian. He was tough but humble. He was my best fishing buddy, too, almost always the first one on my short list of guys I would call when I was planning a trip.

Growing up, I worked very hard on our ranch, but the hard work was always offset with a fishing trip or possibly a dove or duck hunting outing. We worked and played very hard.

My dad could be very charismatic and thoughtful, but his moral compass and life principles were unbending. Whether it was a fishing or hunting expedition, my dad was all in and you knew he would carry his end of the deal or die trying.

One time we went deer hunting in rugged hills and high heat. I was training for the 1976 Olympics at the time and I thought I was in great shape. My father ran me up and down those hills until I gave out. He wasn’t able to play sports growing up because he worked on my grandfather’s ranch, but I know he would have been a great athlete. He could outwork and outwalk me until he got into his late 50s.

You didn’t mess with my dad once he made a decision, either. I decided at an early age that it was better to just do the right thing and tell the truth rather than have to deal with the consequences. Everyone knew where my dad’s boundaries were, that he was truthful, and that he would never break his integrity. He was the toughest man I’ve ever known, sandwiched with a deep caring and steady love. You never wondered where you stood with my father. He always expected you to be the best you could be, as well as putting out all you had. It was hard at times, but great training always is.

Most sportsmen have had someone like my father whose influence and example have been a strong guiding beacon in their lives. Learning how to be a person of integrity and a good sportsman are lessons that are more caught than taught. We all need mentors, and I was blessed it was my dad. It’s a shame, but in such a busy, fragmented and cellphone crazed world, few are getting the time and attention they need to build a lasting foundation for a great life. I was lucky that the “voice” in my life was my dad and mom.

Foundations take time to build. The higher the building being built, the deeper and stronger the foundations have to be. Every one of the materials have to be critically tested to withstand the pressures put on them or the whole structure collapses.

I was lucky to have someone build a character, a passion and the key principles that guide my life to this day. I can trace the pathway back to a few key people who believed in me and took the time to invest in my life. It all comes together when I’m fishing. Maybe it does for you, too. Never give up!