6. Throwback Thursday: Choose a photo from a previous March and write a poem or a blog post.
In 2014 Maile got a goldfish. She had previously asked me to get her one and even though I’m a sucker for all things PETS, I draw the line at fish and birds. The reward in owning those animals does not equal the effort involved in keeping them alive. I also knew that even though she said she would clean the tank and take care of everything, ultimately I would be the one in charge. Not only could she barely lift a fish tank filled with water, but a ten-year-old cleaning a tank unsupervised could mean gravel down my sink drain. I wanted nothing to do with it.
But Pat took the girls on an unsupervised trip to the pet store for dog food one day and they managed to coerce him into buying fish. He had a mature discussion about the cost and labor involved in raising goldfish and they nodded and agreed and convinced him they could do it. I was not thrilled and Pat was all, “They know it’s their responsibility. We had a mature conversation about it.” And I was all “NO NO NO!! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?”
Everyone thought I was overreacting. “Let the girls have an opportunity to be responsible.” Sounds great on paper, but I knew these were my fish now. I was going to help set up their tanks and supervise cleanings and arrange for someone to feed them when we went out of town, etc. And I was right, the fish were fun and interesting for about a week and then they became a hassle. Every morning for the past five years I have peered into Maile’s fish tank to see if it was still living. It survived many different moves from one room to another, but when we recently had our floors replaced, Maile moved her fish tank into Kainoa’s room for safekeeping.
Five years it has managed to survive in this house, but one week in Kainoa’s room and the poor thing just couldn’t keep swimming. It was kind of sad to say goodbye. He really gave life his all by surviving as long as he did…but at least I don’t have to worry about gravel in my drain anymore!
RIP goldfish.
Kimberly says
Aww poor fish! I think it was almost the same time last year that our goldfish almost died too! Actually, it was the fish tank that spontaneously exploded all over. Weirdest thing. It destroyed my son’s bookshelf and it leaked into the basement – destroying the bathroom ceiling tile. Surprisingly, the fish survived. Since we had the fish for years, I had called around to pet stores and one pet store owner actually rescues fish! He took Mr. Hotdog. We didn’t want to buy a whole new tank plus Hotdog was a mother effing cannibal fish. Bully.,,,but fam. I hope he’s happy swimming and eating other fish. Weirdo.
Mama Kat says
You sent your fish to a fish hospital and saved its life. That is commitment. When we had pet mice, I took them in for a weekly shot to help with a case of mites, so I get it. I feel bad that the fish died in Kainoa’s room…I can’t help but think his aura had something to do with it. ;)
John Holton says
Five years! That’s some kind of a record. The most I could get out of my goldfish was two. Well, maybe if my brother hadn’t decide to be a smartass and stick it into my baseball glove it would have lived longer, but by the time it died all the gold had fallen off and he just looked like a carp, which is what goldfish are, after all.
Mama Kat says
Yeah, that fish lived way too long…but I really hate when things die so it’s been a conflicting relationship for me.
madamdreamweaver says
Thanks for explaining your job.
The goldfish story reminds me of all the goldfish we’d win at the local county fair playing that “throw the ping-pong ball in goldfish bowl full of water” game. Some had actual goldfish. I recall we had a tank of 5 to 7 various years. My Dad liked them, though and he took care of them. Later my sister, when she went through a vein of serious aquarium interest, she had a tank of Guppies for a while. I think the little “tank cleaners’ you get that eat the algae in the tank are interesting.
We had a friend who did salt-water aquariums and those are a very hard environment to maintain. Then there was the Beta Japanese Fighting Fish rage and a lot of people had those. Myself, I’ve never wanted pet fish.