So… I just fell in the river.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
It's school holidays in New South Wales (and much of the rest of Australia), and we decided to take advantage of the long weekend, grab another four annual leave days, and go camping.
If you're a regular reader of these missives, you'll know that's not uncommon for me – I have been bitten pretty hard by the camping bug.
Well, not the camping bug, per se, but the experiences you can have when you're camping.
Campfires. Billy tea. The million-star accommodation. Big skies. Glorious scenery. Kangaroos, possums and gang-gang cockatoos. And yes, the serenity.
I'm convinced that our evolutionary biology means that at some deeper level, being in nature is just good for us.
That's my experience, anyway.
This time, we're down in the Snowies, just out of Jindabyne. A gorgeous little campsite with…
Hang on a sec. I've gotta go and sort out a broken fishing rod, apparently…
Okay, back. The lure is gone, but I managed to recover both halves of a rod that separated when the lure got snagged in a tree!
As I was saying, we're at a lovely campsite beside a river where you can hear the water running as you drift off to sleep, and where the mornings and evenings are 'brisk', but the days are lovely and warm.
Here's a little taster:
Why am I telling you all this? Well, two reasons.
As I mentioned above, I reckon most people will benefit from a little time in nature. If you haven't done it for a while – or at all – I'd encourage you to get out there.
And second, well, because a little time away from the share market is also a good thing. I've been reading, thinking (yes, tying and retying fishing lines), and just recharging.
Not only that, but I haven't checked my brokerage account at all this week. I won't for the rest of the week, either. Now, I need to reassure members that the rest of the Motley Fool team are still hard at work, and my absence won't be noticed by the members of the services I run.
But for my own portfolio? I'm not even slightly concerned. Because I'm infallible? No, of course not. Just because, as a long term, diversified investor, there's essentially nothing that could happen this week that could meaningfully harm my portfolio over any significant length of time.
So why would I worry about it? This week, what will be will be. Just as – and here's the key point – it is in any other week of the year, whether I'm at work or not.
See, long term investing isn't just a platitude. It's not just a nice idea. It's a strategy that I'm convinced will bear fruit… if we leave it alone to do its thing. Too much meddling is bad for my portfolio, and I dare say for yours too.
Oh, and the river? I thought you might ask.
My young bloke loves his fishing, but his casts can sometimes be a little too strong, leaving the hook in the tree on the other side of the river.
This time, it was in a smallish gum overhanging said river.
Carefully, I stepped out and up the 45 degree trunk, reached up, and untangled the line that was wound around a small branch and hooked onto itself.
Once freed, my son wound it in and went back to fishing.
Then?
Splash.
Backing down the way I came, I put my hand behind me and braced against a branch which… gave way.
Thankfully, the fall was unobstructed, and I landed clean in the water with only a couple of scratches on my hand – and my bruised ego – to show for it.
Oh, and some very wet jeans, t-shirt, and boots.
The good news? I was at least mindful enough to leave my hat and phone on the riverbank before my ascent.
If there's an investing lesson in there, I'm not sure what it is?
Be prepared? Always have an exit strategy? Don't be too arrogant?
Or maybe just know when it's time to sacrifice the lure, to stay dry?
Wish me luck for the rest of the holiday!
Fool on!
