Do you remember the last game you played in little league, high school, or college? How about your last fishing or hunting trip with your father, brother or grandfather?

At some point, we may realize that we have played our last game or made our last fishing or hunting trip. Sometimes we don’t think about that last play or last cast until we’re about to do it.

Many of us don’t know it’s our last play until after the game is over. When you’re growing up it’s easy to look ahead and know when your last game is scheduled to be played, whether that’s in a summer recreation league or in a high school league.

Most of us never make it to the professional level, but we enjoy our games just the same, maybe more. Do you remember how important that game, or play seemed at the time? Maybe you’ve forgotten, or maybe you can’t forget.

Do you want a do-over, a second chance? We all would like a chance to do things over, in hopes of improving our performance, or maybe even changing the outcome.

Did you give it everything on that last play? Did you make that catch, or hit that ball? Did you squeeze that trigger slowly and make a good shot, or set that hook and catch a monster bass? But more importantly did you give it everything you had at the time? We can’t go back and change the past, but we can start a new day each morning when the sun comes up again. If we wake up and have the opportunity, that is. Many people don’t have a second chance to start fresh on a new day. At some point we all come to the time in life when we’ll never be able to play ball, make music, go fishing, or do the things we once could, or wished we could.

“You’ve got to make it happen” said my grandfather, James Patrick Nolen. “You can’t wait for somebody or something else to get started” he told me often. Don’t wait until tomorrow, or next week, there’ll always be something else to do. We are busy people, and we get caught up in life happenings. Paw paw Pat told me that you have to make time to do what you love, or what you want to do and that includes practicing, fishing, or hunting.

“We don’t have any regrets, we’ve done it all,” said J. P. Nolen. Those were his words to me not too long before his passing. Yes, if we thought about going hunting, fishing, or whatever, we made plans and did it. We never put it off until tomorrow. I can’t remember my last fishing or hunting trip with him. Nor can I remember the last fish he caught, or buck he killed.

But those events are not what are important. I do remember hundreds of successful hunting and fishing trips that we had together, as well as many of the bucks, ducks and fish we caught, killed, and harvested. I remember how he treated people and mentored me during those times. I remember the feeling I had just being with this talented and generous man!

Do you have regrets? We can’t change the past, but we can change our future by starting right now, wherever we are. If you’re playing ball, or training for some event such as a fishing tournament or hunting and fishing outing, then I urge you to give it your all right now. For if you give it everything you have, the last play will take care of itself.

One play, one cast, or one hunting or fishing trip won’t determine your legacy, but we never know which play, or cast, or trip, will be our last. Can you say truthfully that you gave it your all? Was your all 100%? If not, then I implore you to start right now and strive for excellence in whatever you do. Prepare for tomorrow by training and doing everything within your power to become a better player, angler, hunter, father or mother. The choices you make each day will determine how you feel after you’ve made your last play or cast your last lure.

Are you tired of the same old things? You’ve lost your passion for something, or maybe you never found anything that really called you. Get outdoors and find your true calling, your vision, your passion. That passion may inspire you to accomplish things you’ve never done before.

It won’t be routine or old, let the vision and passion be your driving force. After our passing from this earth the only thing most of us will be remembered for is what we pass down through the life of our sons, daughters, and the people we love. Never miss out on an opportunity to imagine the possibilities and make a difference each day.

Pass it on, the very future of our nation depends upon it.

Carpe Diem.