When my son was a small boy we had four goldfish and a little albino frog that were all happy, happy together for many months (or so it seemed) living together in one fish bowl. Out of the blue one morning the frog killed one of the fish. Scalped him! The frog ate only the fins and the eyeballs and the fish, now unable to see or swim, was left for dead. My little son made the gruesome discovery and was really upset. I was a bit shaken up myself. I disposed of the fish torso and placed the frog on probation removing him from the family bowl into his own bowl.
Several days later, one of the remaining three fish killed his bowl mate, a fish. I discovered the dead and mangled carcass, scooped him out, and placed him in a baggie. My son and I buried the dead fish in the yard. My son cried and cried and it broke my heart. We had previously buried a lizard skeleton, hermit crabs, a dead baby bird we found, and our pet turtle. The funerals were getting to be too much for both of us.
Two fish remained.
About a week later, I found a Floater and the last lone fish circling that dead fish. So out of sympathy (and the lack of an explanation for my little son who was still sleeping), I flushed the dead fish along with that fourth fish down my toilet. Before you go all PETA on me, know that I did feel bad about doing this. I am not a fish killer. I don’t even fish when I go fishing.
When my son discovered the empty fish bowl, I told him an elaborate story about how I found the dead fish (plural) and I privately buried them to spare my son the drama and grief of it all. He kind of bought it, but I know he suspected the flushing.
Now take a look at the ingredient label on a box of fish food - it's fish! What’s up with that? What’s up with all of this? Is this what happens when you live in a fishbowl? I am not trying to be cliché or clever here, I’m serious. Does everyone go crazy? Surly there is some metaphorical life lesson or warning here? Or not.
I am reminded of the fable of the Scorpion and Frog. My interpretation of this story/lesson is not the mainstream “it was in the scorpion’s nature” and therefore he did what scorpions do and he manipulated, tricked and killed the frog (and himself), but rather, I see it as it was in the nature of the frog to help a creature in need, in this case, a scorpion and that frog happened to get killed along the way. Win some, lose some. I think the scorpion was the weak one, not the frog. It’s easier to be evil than it is to be good. Yes, Evil exists. But so does Good.
Nothing is random.
XO, Lisa