TIGHT LINES
I'LL STOP PROCRASTINATING ... TOMORROW
with Andrew Spencer
If you're reading this, it's testament to the patience of Shep, my editor. You see, I got a phone call from Shep recently which was, I think, kind of a subtle hint to get my column written. Truth be told, I hadn't given much thought to it when he called, but I assured him I would get it written soon. So, three days later, I figured I'd really better get started on it.

It's not like procrastination is some new art form I've recently perfected. No, I've been a procrastinator for a long, long time. It all pretty much boils down to the fact that oftentimes there are things I'd rather do than work. And some of the lengths I've gone to in order to avoid doing things like homework are not to be believed. Case in point, in fifth grade I managed to pull off a high degree of difficulty flip over a moving Camaro and topped it off by spending six weeks on crutches with a broken leg. And that was just because I didn't feel like doing my science homework. Now just imagine what I'm capable of if I really don't want to do the work in question.

When I got to high school, I was one of the editors of the school newspaper, and suddenly I realized there were others out there just like me. School newspaper offices are kind of like group therapy sessions for procrastinators; we all get together and talk about things that are going on in the world and call it an "editorial meeting." When you boil it down to its essence, though, it's really just a bunch of people sitting around trying to avoid doing any real work.

And it's not just talking that serves as a vehicle of procrastination. No, sir, there are any number of ways to procrastinate. If you look around you right now, I'll bet you can find a ton of different ways to avoid doing what you need to be doing. For example, you're reading this right now instead of doing the work you really should be doing. But don't stop now. You're on a roll.

Nantucket has got plenty of procrastination hot-spots. Coffee shops are great places to procrastinate, as are the benches on Main Street. For the serious procrastinators, we've got the golf course or the beach, both of which offer the protection of pseudo-work, because you can be "reading over plans" on the beach or "discussing future plans" while on the golf course. If you're looking for a guide in the world of procrastination, I suggest you follow the lead of my own personal mentor, Tom Walsh, builder extraordinaire. T. Walsh has, by all accounts, perfected the art, and can often be found practicing it outside Fast Forward. Stop by for a cup of coffee one of these mornings and watch a true master at work.

But if you want to be all that you can be and pull off the equivalent of Rodney Dangerfield's "Triple Lindy" of procrastination, the coups de grace of all time-wasting, then head on out and do some fishing.

I know it took me a while, but I finally got around to throwing that segue in.

Though the fishing has been spotty at times, there's still plenty going on in Nantucket waters to keep anglers happy. False albacore and bluefish are still lining up along the shores at Great Point, and bass are being taken off Eel Point and various spots along the South Shore, as well as in the harbor off Coatue. I've even heard a few reputable accounts of rogue bonitos being caught, but those reports are getting rarer by the day.

And friends and neighbors, it seems that we humans aren't the only ones procrastinating, as the fish are a little late this year with their southern migration. Having said that, I'm sure somebody out there is going to tell me that the water temperatures are right in line with where they should be and that the fish aren't late, it's just that my memory is getting bad. In other words, it's like the traffic issue, only with the fish. But this year I know for a fact that the traffic was worse (I did my own study, thank you very much), and I'm pretty sure the fish are late, too. But they're there. You've just got to get out there and find them.

And one of the truly great things about fishing as a time-wasting device is the fact that, believe it or not, it's not actually weatherdependent. When it's raining outside, you can always head over to Bill Fisher Tackle and hang out on the bench in there. Just make sure you're talking about fishing.

Tight lines.

I