OUTDOOR TRUTHS
 I started my turkey hunting season in Alabama last week with a good friend and fellow hunter. It was a tough few days with limited action but we managed to call in one gobbler that made for a good meal during one of the evenings at our cabin. During the morning of that hunt, I had the privilege of carrying the gun while my friend was relegated to filming the action. His job was much more difficult but equally exciting.
 As we set up on this bird, we agreed that he would simply say "Yes" when he had the turkey in view. This would signal that I could shoot when I had the opportunity. Sure enough the gobbler came over the hill and showed himself on a dirt road about fifty-five yards away. After only a few seconds, my friend gave the quite signal; "Yes." A few more seconds past and again he said, "Yes." Once again, "Yes," "Yes," "Yes," After ten of these yeses, he decides to stray from the original plan. He now begins a chorus of "Shoot!" "Shoot!" "Shoot!" with each of them increasing in crescendo. And after five of those, his last positive admonition was "Shoot em'!" I ignored that one as well. It was until he said "No" that I finally pulled the trigger and claimed my bird. And the proof of what I'm telling you is in on the film.
 What was it that caused all of this misunderstanding? What was it that made me ignore his continual promptings? It was simply the fact that I had a different perspective than he did. You see, we had to do what you're really not supposed to do when you film - we had to set up apart from one another. From his viewpoint, the turkey was in a perfect position, but from mine, he was hidden behind a few small limbs. I had to wait until he cleared those branches before I could shoot. I heard his words clearly. I was also tempted to take a bad shot as his enthusiasm grew. But I was convinced he didn't know what I knew.
 During this episode I was reminded very quickly of how sometimes we get bombarded with advice. There is somebody always wanting to tell us what we ought to do. And there's no doubt that good advice is a valuable tool. But remember that if the person you are getting advice from doesn't see things from your perspective, he may lead you down the wrong path. And this can happen even with professional counselors. If you are a Christian, you're perspective is different. To receive counsel from someone who doesn't share your perspective would be like taking your new Ford to a Chevy dealer for repairs or even like you pulling the trigger on a turkey just because your friend has a clear shot. Neither would be very smart.
Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org