Going home exhausted one day and about to join the tricycle queue to get to our gate, I saw a vendor selling these goldfishes. I was annoyed that these beauties could be held captive this way and treated as merchandise. Memories of Finding Nemo swiftly bubbled in my head.
Another time my grandchild, the not so Wee One Kai, brought home a goldfish in a similar plastic bag. Apparently, it was a party favor from a birthday celebrator in her school. Her mother Kimi and grandpa Rolly looked for a container, a fishbowl, for it, but it didn't live long. Mother and child decided to buy another fish to fill the bowl's emptiness and Mr. Fish has been swimming happily along. Kimi, Kai or our help Macky take turns feeding the new family pet. When the water gets milky white, it's time for a change.
The point being fish belong in ponds, the sea, the ocean. If we are to make them a part of the family, this requires commitment--yes, the way we commit ourselves to our husbands and children. This makes me rail against dogs in small cages, birds in cages, etc. I guess I'm a big believer in being free to be you, to be me. (With thanks to Marlo Thomas for the last line)
Photos by Babeth Lolarga
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