Loneliness: Food for the Introverted SoulThe World's Greatest Fisherman", that's the title I bestowed upon myself at the age of six. I was blissfully unaware of the fact that the fish in the pond on my grandparents' farm, located in rural southwest Arkansas, had to be hand-fed twice a week. When they wanted fresh fish, they omitted one or both meals for that week, making the fish ravenous and eager to strike at anything that lit up on the surface or entered the water, including an unbaited hook My father introduced me to the sports of fishing and hunting during the summer of 1967. After the trauma of witnessing the shooting and the. panicked flight of a beautiful deer, the fear I saw in his eyes before he died made hunting too cruel and violent a sport for my six-year-old psyche. I preferred the quiet and peace of fishing, the fight to attract and capture prey, the ancient dance between predator and prey. Although my youth made it impossible for me to realize it then, that preference for the “silent struggle” was the initial step towards my introversion, my comfort and ease of internal reflection, avoiding the masses, taking explicit steps to ensure only a certain quality. time; and enjoy the splendor of nature, all of which are conducive to angling. “It is within your power to withdraw into yourself whenever you wish. Perfect inner tranquility consists in the good order of the mind, a kingdom all yours” (qtd. by Helgoe 231) “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after” (Thoreau). First of all, I must state categorically that fishing, at least for me, is not a “gang bang” sport. It is a quiet competition between the fisherman and the fish; does not require the company of others or sp...... middle of paper ......>Helgoe, Laurie. Introverted power. Because your inner life is your hidden strength. Naperville: Source, 2008. Print. King James Version I. The Holy Bible. New York: Home.1988. Print.Lindh, Wilburta, et al. Comprehensive clinical and administrative medical care skills. Clifton Park: Delmar,, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.Pintoman. Understanding introverts. Hub Pages. 2012. Network. March 13, 2012. Kebler-Ross, Elisabetta. Goodread Quotes. 2012. Network. March 15, 2012. Sisson Mark. The Power of Solitude: Why You Should Spend More Time Alone. 2012. Network. 12 February 2012. Thoreau, Henry, David. Welcome to the Garden of Quotes. 2012. Network. 11 February. 2012.