A teacher tells them how and trains them to do it. A guide not only tells them how and trains them but goes along with them and shows them the way. A guide goes with…is a traveling companion. A teacher, often, has never done or may longer do that thing in which they are teaching, informing, and sending others to do. A guide informs, tells, and shows how, and accompanies the apprentice as they do it together.
I’ve spent a lot of time with fly fishing guides. The guide takes them out, outfits them with what they need, shows them the right flies to use, informs/warns them of things they need to be aware of, and even ties the flies back on every time they get tangled in a tree. Patiently, gently, and with encouragement and grace, even after the 25th time the fly fisherman gets tangled in that same tree, reties the fly, and says, “Not a problem, I got you, now get back at it. You’re starting to get the hang of it!”
The guide points them to that one riffle by that one rock and says, “Cast there.” And the guide stands just an inch or two behind him off his left shoulder and says, “Perfect, good job….that’s it…now a little further out now…” Then suddenly, there is a swirl of water and a splash— the trout takes the fly. Fish on! The guide stands with him through it all, yelling “You did it! You got it! Now don’t fight it, let the fish take you…wait…be patient…you’re doing great!”
Then the guide takes the net out at just the right time when the fish has no more fight left in him and scoops the beautiful Brown Trout out of the water.
The fisherman is glowing…ecstatic. LIFE TO THE FULL! —-shaking with joy! And the guide snaps the pic. And that pic will hang on that fisherman’s wall until the day he dies…and he will show it to 1,000 people!
The teacher sits at their desk in their office, and wonders if they’ll catch any fish. As they get back fishing reports, they update their stats and decide if the results quantify whether the fishing trip is a success or a failure.
And when the fisherman comes back, the teacher asks him, “Did you catch anything?”
“No, not this time,” the fisherman replies.
“Well, why? You really need to figure it out. You need a plan. What’s your plan to catch fish next time you go out?” the teacher responds.
“I don’t know. I didn’t know it was always about catching fish or how many…I honestly just enjoyed fishing.”
As the teacher continues to repeatedly ask this question, eventually, the fisherman walks away discouraged. The fisherman no longer enjoys fishing.
Finally, the fishermen, once filled with joy and excitement and honor, courage, and confidence, puts the rod back in the case and hangs it in the closet… and mutters to himself, “I knew I wasn’t really cut out to be a fisherman. Who was I kidding? I should have never believed I could be a good fly fisherman.”
People who are well guided will mature into a person who will fish for the rest of their lives. They will teach others to fish. They will teach their own kids to fish. None of that happens unless a guide takes the time to go with them along the way and walk alongside them.
ericfaisonstory 
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