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| Lake Guntersville photo by Dean A. Johnson |
Ernest Thompson’s play and screen play, On Golden Pond, has been lasting inspiration to me ever since I saw the movie version in 1981. The combination of the beautiful images of New Hampshire’s Squam Lake combined with the moving music by Dave Grusin captured my attention as a soothing retreat to nature for healing, restoration, and inspiration.
The
story is intriguing of a man, Norman Thayer, coming into contact with the
reality of aging and feeling that he no longer is making a contribution in
life. His family has made regular summer
visits to Golden Pond for a summer retreat, but this year he feels closer to
death than life itself. It is an
unexpected visit by a teenage boy, Billy, who reignites the fire and
restoration of life to Norman.
I first saw this movie as a teenager myself not too long after the death of my dad. It moved me! It lifted me! It made me want to visit the lakes of New Hampshire to seek and find healing, restoration and inspiration. As a young fisherman, I wanted to ply the waters of Squam Lake for trout and smallmouth bass while soaking in the scenic beauty of woods, water and rock.
I first saw this movie as a teenager myself not too long after the death of my dad. It moved me! It lifted me! It made me want to visit the lakes of New Hampshire to seek and find healing, restoration and inspiration. As a young fisherman, I wanted to ply the waters of Squam Lake for trout and smallmouth bass while soaking in the scenic beauty of woods, water and rock.
THEN,
magic struck! My granddaddy took me on a
fall fishing trip to Guntersville Lake in North Alabama. While in the boat, I sensed healing from my
grief, a connection with my dad, restoring of my soul and inspiration to keep
going to the next day. I REALIZED that
Guntersville Lake was my own “Golden Pond.”
Better yet, it was only a 45 minute drive from my home in Huntsville,
Alabama.
From that day on, I had a longing to spend as much time as I could at my golden pond in Guntersville. Thirty years later, I still seek Guntersville Lake as a place of healing waters, restoration, connectedness to God, restoring my soul and spirit and inspiration for tomorrow.
Guntersville Lake has helped me: relive time spend with my dad and grieve his loss; develop my fishing skills; gain a deeper understanding of the natural world and God’s Kingdom; deepen my relationships with family members and friends; retreat from the hectic work-a-day world of customer service and church ministry; grieve the loss of a dear friend; propose to my wife; celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with my wife and children; and inspire me into business ideas and ministerial opportunities; and how to be a better husband and parent.
In the coming chapters, I will share with you the healing waters of Golden Pond mixed with characters from life intermingled with the beauties of the lake. In this, I hope that you will discover or recover your own place of healing, restoration and inspiration. Feel free to provide your comments as we journey through this together.
From that day on, I had a longing to spend as much time as I could at my golden pond in Guntersville. Thirty years later, I still seek Guntersville Lake as a place of healing waters, restoration, connectedness to God, restoring my soul and spirit and inspiration for tomorrow.
Guntersville Lake has helped me: relive time spend with my dad and grieve his loss; develop my fishing skills; gain a deeper understanding of the natural world and God’s Kingdom; deepen my relationships with family members and friends; retreat from the hectic work-a-day world of customer service and church ministry; grieve the loss of a dear friend; propose to my wife; celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with my wife and children; and inspire me into business ideas and ministerial opportunities; and how to be a better husband and parent.
In the coming chapters, I will share with you the healing waters of Golden Pond mixed with characters from life intermingled with the beauties of the lake. In this, I hope that you will discover or recover your own place of healing, restoration and inspiration. Feel free to provide your comments as we journey through this together.
