We had a devastating loss yesterday. My wife was visiting family most of the day yesterday and I was at work. When I got home, as is my norm, I went to feed my fish Albert. If you've studied previous posts, you'll know that I received Albert for my birthday. When I went to feed Albert I looked in his bowl to find him. He generally likes to hide in his castle, so I looked in there first and when I didn't see him there I looked at the bottom of the bowl. To my horror, Albert the fish was not moving at the bottom of the fish bowl. Naturally, I tried to shake the bowl and thus revive him, but to no avail. Although Albert had lived a good life, as far as Beta Fish go, a small void filled my heart. I was in all honesty, kinda sad about it. I know that fish are usually looked upon as mere decoration, but Albert was unique. Unlike your general Beta, he did not sit motionless at the top of the bowl. He swam around tirelessly as if on a quest to find something in his bowl. He would swim and stay the night in his castle, it was charming.
I gave him the ceremonial fish burial, namely the big flush, and the bowl remained half empty in memory of his legacy; kind of like the flag at half mast. I have a small hope that like the movie Finding Nemo he was just pretending to be dead so that he could escape the confines of his bowl. If that is the case, more power to him. I feel I was a good master but if he desired his freedom I wouldn't deny it.
