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Welcome back to The Bend!
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The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or
observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking
about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a
little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s
a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative
that deserves some attention. From the
Field, shares a small anecdote about the broader outdoor
recreation economy from Oxbow’s non-profit arm, the VA
MTNS Outdoor Collective. And One Thought Worth
Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote
that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing
with.
It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully
something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the
current.
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“Not everything needs to happen fast. Some things need
to happen right.”
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What the Current Pulled Toward
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This week the current pulled toward
readiness.
The
VA
MTNS Outdoor Collective website is finally live.
It took longer than I thought it would and it wasn’t
because it was overly complicated, rather it was because I couldn’t give
it the attention it deserved. There were other priorities and other work
that needed to get done. And every time I came back to it, it felt like
something that shouldn’t be rushed.
So
I didn’t.
Generally speaking, there’s
a pressure to move fast, to launch early, iterate later, and figure it
out as you go. For many, there’s value in that approach.
But there’s also value in slowing something down long
enough to make sure it reflects what it’s supposed to be. That’s what this became.
Although the developer I worked with did an amazing job, the
site isn’t perfect. It probably never will be. But it’s a foundation and
a place to point people. For me, it’s confirmation that this isn’t just
an idea anymore.
More than anything,
it feels like something I’m ready to give more time to now. That’s the cool thing about readiness: it’s really
about being willing to carry something
forward.
-
Mike.
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Roanoke Angler is a really
cool fly shop in Grandin Village.
The
shop was created to fill a gap: an independently owned, guide-driven fly
shop in Roanoke that was in very short supply or just didn’t exist. That
alone says something about both the opportunity and the direction of
this region.
Owner and guide Jay Waide
brings years of experience on the water, and operates with guide-first,
experience-driven model, rooted in local waters like the New, James, and
Roanoke.
To learn more about Roanoke Angler, click
here.
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The growth of outfitter services in the region has helped stabilize seasonal economies in nearby towns in
addition to creating awesome recreational
opportunities.
Guided trips,
shuttle services, gear rentals, etc. are all revenue streams that
support small businesses, create jobs, and keep people in place who
might otherwise leave.
That’s the
outdoor economy in practice.
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One Thought Worth Sitting With
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This week’s theme: Readiness.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to
start to be great.“
-Zig Zigler
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Follow Oxbow on Social Media
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