Running water moving at 5 mph, but yet still looks so peaceful and serene. But it can be your watery death in a matter of moments. This river that i'm talking about is the Pier Marquette River and, one of the first places my Dad and I had become closer. The reason why we started going up there is to fish for the returning salmon that are coming back to spawn in the fall. This is the first time my Dad and I did anything together without my sister or my step mom. So I was excited and nervous at the same time, I just wanted to become closer with my Dad. So we got up there late friday night and set everything up. We were sitting around the campfire and I noticed my Dad is not talking, he’s just sitting there. My mind began to wonder. Is he not happy? Why isn’t he talking? Is he not having any fun? This was a stupid idea. An hour or two later, after much silence my Dad and I return to our tent. I was still thinking about it, debating whether I blew it or not-- my one chance to make the connection with my Dad that i wanted all my life. So the next morning I wake up and my dad’s in the process of getting out of the tent, but before he left I asked him why was he not talking last night He simply  replied with, “I could barely see anyone how was I going to get to know these people when I can’t see their faces?”I was shocked. I didn’t expect him to say that or do all things, but he proceeded out of the tent. All of a sudden he just started talking to everyone, even people he didn’t know. He just went straight in, head first and that to me showed the start of a good day.  So all of us suited up and got our waders on and or lines rigged and ready to go. We headed out into the crystal clear water of the river, as the sun broke through the trees with the autumn leaves falling down, I noticed that my dad was staying with me and not going with the other parents. So when we got to our hole we were going to fish, I sat down and asked “Why don't you go hangout with the other parents?” He responded with,” I didn’t come up here to bullsh*t with a bunch of people I don't know. I came up here to spend time with you”. I was shocked that the scary brute I thought was my father was actually a kind gentle giant who just wanted to get to know me , which made me really happy. As the day flew by my dad and I had a blast and we didn’t even catch anything. As we got into the tent it hit me. Why didn't I ever ask him to hangout with me like this before, I guess that it ended up being that I gave up up because sloan my sister who would always but in or interject into our time and I could never get to know my dad until I was twelve which really cut me deep. The next morning we decided to pack up early and head home. On the ride home, I told my dad that I wanted more things that he and I can do. He replied with, “of course. I’m glad that we did this because I wanted something that me and you can do, just the two of us.” At the end of the trip I was sad that it ended but extremely happy because I had finally gotten to know my father for who he is and, after that year we have gone every year without fail for the past 5 year. Over that time we have become friends, so what I’ve learned from this experience is that a relationship is a two way street if you don't put the time and energy into it neither will they.