so, i was gonna buy a goldfish the other day. nothing fancy. just your standard, run of the mill 15 cent goldfish.
then i started thinking...
these lil' guys have a memory span of about 30 seconds. right now in the pet shop, this lil' guy is in a 55-100 gallon tank. he's surrounded by 300 of his best fuckin' friends. he's got crystal clear water, it's filtered, it's fresh. he's got a lovely bright fluorescent light above him. feeding time is an always-on-schedule fun filled feeding frenzy.
30 seconds at a time... his life, it's filled with friends, it's clean, clear, bright, he's properly fed and it's fun. all this... for 30 seconds at a time.
now, if i decide to throw my nickle and dime on the counter.. this lil' guys world is going to do a complete 180.
suddenly he's confined to a glass bowl. he's completely alone. his water, it would still be clean and clear, but it would only be refreshed once or twice a week rather than that non-stop continuous flow. either way still nothing like a pond. feeding time? not that he'd remember, but something would probably send him to the top of the water with his mouth ready to open up for something. but that something would be nothing.
suddenly he's alone in semi-stagnant water.. and he's hungry...
and he doesn't know why.
