[March 9, 2024] The bayou water was like glass, not a ripple, nothing moving except our aluminum flat-bottom jon boat as it slowly glided along with its silent electric motor. It was also dark out, black as ink. I held the flashlight. Dad navigated the boat. Earlier that day, Dad said matter-of-factly, “Hey Douglas, let’s go gigging.” I had no idea what he was talking about because I’d only heard the word gigging a few times before. In simple terms, gigging is hunting frogs with a spear. Then you eat them.
My first response was total surprise. I’d never done something so “appealing” in my short life – touch of sarcasm there – but I’d been hunting before, and I wasn’t squeamish like so many of the girls I knew. Eat a frog?
Hey, I was learning about being a good kid. Mom and Dad, for example, had established some family rules and one of the most important was obeying them. If they “asked” me to do something or made a “suggestion,” it really meant jumping up and doing it right now and not asking questions. Besides, being a little kid meant having no money, no job, no prospects, little knowledge, no ride to anywhere, and no ability to live on my own. So when Dad said let’s go gigging, all I could do was say, “Yes sir!” And, I’m convinced I might have saluted, if I’d known how.
This may come as a shock, but I was learning about rules, oftentimes the hard way – there was no easy way for me. One rule I learned was that if you eat too many pecans off Bigmama’s pecan trees, you’ll get a stomach ache and probably throw up uncontrollably. Another rule was to never throw rocks at a nest of hornets; you can’t outrun them and they’re smart and they have a nasty attitude and their persistent as heck.
I also learned that the Bible was a great guide to more rules that improve your life. I’d learned not to mock my parents, as written in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. If you do mock your parents, it is said that you will be eaten by vultures. Vultures! Besides, what kid wants to get eaten alive? Another simple rule was to never ever throw trash out the window of Dad’s car, while moving, even if you are helping out your next door friend get rid of some old kitchen garbage. The sheriff doesn’t look too fondly on littering Louisiana roads, so he tells me.
Back to gigging frogs. “They taste like chicken.” Where’d I hear that before? I talked to several friends in town who had eaten cooked frog legs, but none had gone gigging, except for Billy, who owned an old hound dog. That dog would eat anything, and Billy could too. What you can learn from people is amazing if you listen closely to what they say. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on whether frog legs were good-tasting. It was hard to wrap my brain around the idea. Sort of like eating rattlesnakes; they taste like chicken, too, not.
Dad brought along a canvas sack for the frogs. I figured we gigged maybe 50 frogs that night within half an hour. Not toads. There’s a big difference. All went smoothly until Dad was getting his boat into shore. As I got up, something must have tripped me, and I went headlong into the dark waters but fortunately with one hand on the side of the boat – my survival instinct had kicked in. I immediately lost the flashlight and put a small gash on my left knee. Predictably, my Dad was more worried about the loss of his only flashlight. We were home before my scheduled bedtime. Mom cleaned the frogs and prepared the legs for serving the following day. Ummm, they were gooood.
When you’re a kid, it seems like you’ll be a kid forever, but that is not the case. I wanted to be a “grown-up” more than anything. It was those little skills like the time-honored tradition of gigging for frogs, making my own slingshot, also hunting, fishing, camping, swimming, and how to survive in the swamp. But I was growing up educated through hard knocks and faster than I knew.
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NOTE: See all my letters here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
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Please read my books:
I also learned that the Bible was a great guide to more rules that improve your life. I’d learned not to mock my parents, as written in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. If you do mock your parents, it is said that you will be eaten by vultures. Vultures!
Besides, what kid wants to get eaten alive? Another simple rule was to never ever throw trash out the window of Dad’s car, while moving, even if you are helping out your next door friend get rid of some old kitchen garbage. The sheriff doesn’t look too fondly on littering Louisiana roads, so he tells me.
You’ve done well my friend by obey your parents rules as a kids
Proverb says obey you parents in doing so you will find long life
another best letters
Yes, old warrior, but also these letters are a window into the boy who would grow up out of the backwaters of Louisiana into a strong, resilient, successful army general and do things he could not have even dreamed of doing as a little kid.
Powerful letters to Gen. Doug Satterfield’s granddaughter. I wish that she enjoys them today and forever.
I see that too. Wonderful, enlightening, powerful, and lovely. 😊
Gen. Satterfield, you’ve done it again. Oh, blowing smoke is not my point. I just thought that I should comment that your letters are being read by my cousins out in California. They are all rather jaded when it comes to politics and they are also depressed by what they see the government in California doing to them and their families, all hard working adults. Seems like the best way to get ahead there is to be an illegal alien (those are Joe Biden’s words) and they are also big Joe Biden fans. They were so disappointed to hear him call them “illegal” but of course that is true. Any way, they are reading your articles on leadership and how to make yourself a better person, so I sent them a copy of your book “55 rules for a good life” and I hope they read it and use it well. Again, thank you for what you are doing for us all.
I think everyone should take a few minutes to read these letters and I’m not surprised that your California cousins love them too.
A Saturday and reading a great letter. Gen. Doug Satterfield’s granddaughter is one lucky kid.
Another letter with grace and beauty. Well done! I encourage all of us with kids to let them read these letters or read them to your kids. I hope they can enjoy them too. ✔
Another beautiful letter. Making my day better with each letter.
BC, yepper. It makes me wonder, that a military man with so much combat time and a distinguished career in the arts of warfare can also be the exact same man who is able to write such loving letters to his granddaughter, and wishing that she becomes a wonderful young lady and can learn from his letters. That is AMAZING, in and of itself. Please, Gen. Doug Satterfield, keep these letters coming our way because i know that i and my family are reading each of them with great pleasure and look forward to them each day we go onto your website. THANK YOU.
YES, and now we are on letter #59. I can’t imagine Gen. Satterfield getting to letter 100. I hope he does write this long.
Army Vet, please accept my personal thanks for your service to our nation and to the community of leaders on this wonderful and educational website produced by Gen. Satterfield. I know that you and Gen. S. have similar backgrounds and thus there is a camaraderie there and that is a good thing. What I wanted to note that you make an excellent point that I believe is overlooked. In other words, how do we have a man who can be successful at war but also successful at being a special person for his granddaughter, all at the same time? The answer to that, I would hope, is explored by Gen. Satterfield and others. Thank you for your time and patience. Have a beautiful day.
Nothing like a bit of good humor and entertainment on a gloomy Saturday morning. This is why the first thing I do after getting my morning coffee is to open my computer and read this blog. I also have my dog at my feet and we are enjoying the start of a good weekend, despite the weather.
Hi sir, thanks. Good points.👀
Lost the flashlight, great!
Sir, your last paragraph hit home for me. I like the way you write and now this para brings home the message that no matter where we are in life, there is another stage of life out there that we can look forward to. Congrats on your best series yet!
“When you’re a kid, it seems like you’ll be a kid forever, but that is not the case. I wanted to be a “grown-up” more than anything. It was those little skills like the time-honored tradition of gigging for frogs, making my own slingshot, also hunting, fishing, camping, swimming, and how to survive in the swamp. But I was growing up educated through hard knocks and faster than I knew.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield
Got that right, KRause. Just thinking the same thing. We should also let others know about these letters so they can enjoy them too. My wife is on board with it.
Great letter, once again. The entire series is worth a second read, or third, or fourth………..
50 frogs! Small haul. Thanks Gen. Satterfield for sharing your adventures with your dad and mom. These are wonderful stories that make me think back to my childhood. We all wish we could have two loving parents that help us be better folks than we could be alone. This is why I insisted that my future husband be a real man, strong and a leader. Nothing worse than simp, beta man. Great work here, Gen. S. thanks.
Ha Ha, great point, Emma. And I too love these letters. See them all here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/
Edward, great to hear from you again, and I look forward to your next article for my blog.
Thanks sir!
It is always a good thing to hear from Gen. Doug Satterfield in person in his leadership forum. This shows that he cares about what we are thinking and that, of course, that he is reading the comments. That is why I’m one of his longest and most loyal readers/commentators. 👍
Hi Mr. EMKIII. Love your previous works and would love to read more. And, thanks for the compliment for Gen. Satterfield on his letters. This entire series is more than a feel good set of mini stories but a look into the past of a very successful American Patriot. Also, I hope that you again tell us what you are doing to help crush the wokie ideology that is destroying so many of our youth. That is, of course, the story of the century.
Gen. Satterfield sure knows how to write personal letters to his granddaughter.
“Hey Douglas, let’s go gigging.” WOW
If someone said that to me, I’d run.
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Please get yourself a copy of Gen. Satterfield’s latest book ’55 Rules for a Good Life” and you will be happy you got yourself on the right track in life.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
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Julia, I agree with the sentiment and recommendation for Gen. Satterfield’s book. I got my copies and it was a great decision. This particular book is like a textbook/checklist on how to get your life together.
Yep, nailed the recommendaiton, Julia. Thank you. And a note to gen. Satterfield that we are waiting for his next book. What could it be? More Letters to My Granddaughter?
That is the big quesiton. Also, this letter to his granddaughter about gigging frogs made me laugh.
Yes, indeed great letter. And, I’m a NYY fan too.