A Tale of Two Fish

We have two fish. We don't have a dog or a cat or even gerbils. We used to have a big old box turtle, but unfortunately after ten good years, the poor thing perished one hot summer day last July. A couple of years ago I asked my husband, "Wouldn't it be a great idea to get a puppy for the kids?" His response was that, if it were between a dog or another child, he would much rather have another baby. A year later, we were still dogless, but one child richer.

We like dogs, in fact we are dog people. Both my husband and I grew up with dogs. We both coincidentally had beagles. Great dogs, if not a little eccentric. As my dog aged, it seemed that she actually considered herself a human being and as such, should be entitled to go on all the family outings, even if it were just to the super market. If not, we would be punished by presents left around the house upon our return. Despite all that, I loved our dog and think that our little family would benefit from a pet.

My husband, the voice of reason and practicality, continues to point out that the brunt of any dog keeping responsibilities would ultimately fall into our realm (and by "our realm" he meant "my realm") of chores instead of the kids'. He further insists that it would be a hassle to kennel the dog when we travel, etc. I think he dangles that "traveling idea" to get me to veer off topic, so that I am distracted by thoughts of shiny airplanes and far off cities like Rome and Venice.

So, two years ago, I came up with a solution to our pet owning dilemma. Not a great solution...but a solution, none-the-less. I decided we would buy gold fish to fill that empty pet-owning hole in our family. Five gold fish later (seriously) we finally figured out just exactly what to do to keep two gold fish alive and fins flipping! Filters are a good idea for starters. Second, never, ever completely throw away all the old gold fish water when you are cleaning the bowl. Apparently, gold fish like the smell of their fishy water and go into trauma should it be totally eliminated from their gold fish bowl environment.

We like our gold fish. After two years, they are big and fat and even have some personality. They seem to respond to our voices and jump for joy when they see us approach their bowl. At one point I was thinking that they might make fabulous circus fish...we could train them and take them on the road. But, then I discarded the notion, mainly because I just couldn't find the time in my busy schedule for all the rigorous practicing that would have entailed.

We named our fish "Happy" and "Sad". (I tried to call them "Dolce" and "Gabbana" but the names just never stuck.) The kids on the other hand, love to skip up to the bowl and look at the fish and ask: "Are you Happy, or are you Sad"? We love our fish. They aren't warm and cuddly like a dog might be, and they don't lick your face and sleep at the end of your bed. But, they are pretty and they have made a place for themselves in our family. In the end, the voice of "Mr. Reason and Practicality" was right after all....guess who ends up feeding the fish every night? At least I don't have to take them out on a leash for a walk around the block right before going to bed!