I grew up in the Long-leaf Pines and Magnolias in the Coastal Plain of South Alabama, where the woods were my first home. But as I got older, life got a lot heavier. I went through a time of mental health trauma that made me feel like I had to run—so I spent a long time chasing something else, thinking I’d be happier anywhere but where I started. I tried to drown out all that restless noise, but I finally realized all those miles weren't a mistake; they were just the long way

So the other day I went fishing for largemouth bass at my secret spot. It was a very windy day, and I had a few doubts as I struggled to...