XII 



So You Want to be a Lobsterman ? 



Against: 



This chapter is primarily concerned with the lobster 

 fisherman but dwells on the other sides of the lobster in- 

 dustry such as the lobster buyer, the business of pounding 

 lobsters, and the wholesaler. 



It is natural that any boy (or girl for that matter, and 

 there are several successful lobsterwomen ) who lives near 

 the sea may turn to lobstering for his lifework. But it is a 

 different sort of life than most people experience. It can 

 be a good life and a profitable one: IF 



If you can stand its loneliness. 



A lobsterman is up before dawn and is usually alone 

 during his fishing. It is surprising how few lobsterboats 

 are equipped with radios whose music would ease the 

 monotony, as they do in factories. 



Sure, some fishermen who have a large number of traps 

 ( perhaps up to 500 ) have company and take along a helper 

 if they plan to haul half of the string every day. But this is 

 overhead expense and can be the bane of a lobsterman as it 

 is in any other industry. It divides the profit though the in- 

 creased catch may make up for the loss. 



The man whose interests are centered on things out- 

 side himself ( the extrovert ) may be less happy in a lobster- 

 man's loneliness than will the man who fin^s his satisfaction 

 with his own inner thoughts (the inirovert). But there 

 is no such thing as being wholly introvert or wholly extro- 

 vert. All of us have some of each characteristic. However, 

 once a lobsterman has reached his fishing grounds he is busy 

 and has little time for daydreaming. 



Can you do without company while you are working? 



* reprinted courtesy of National Fisherman 



