The Goldfish

This was an association of ideas which was new to me and gave me a chuckle.

The goldfish is a representative symbol for many things across many cultures. As per Google AI:

• Good luck and fortune

  In China, Japan, and other cultures, goldfish are symbols of wealth, fortune, and good luck. In ancient stories and fairy tales, goldfish are said to grant wishes and make dreams come true. 

• Liberation and salvation

  In Buddhism, a pair of goldfish symbolizes liberation and salvation from the cycle of rebirth. 

• Progress

  In Iran and among the Iranian diaspora, goldfish are placed on Haft-sin tables as a symbol of progress. 

• Metaphor for limiting beliefs

  Goldfish can be a metaphor for how limiting beliefs can prevent people from reaching their full potential. 

• Color combinations

  In Japan, the color combination of gold and vermillion was considered doubly lucky. The gold represented wealth, and the red was used to dispel illness or misfortune.

I was only familiar with the good luck and fortune one, myself. The other ones only strengthen the rest of my story--nice.

In modern times, in the US at least (?), we've added another: unintelligence. Or perhaps lack of memory. The idea is (if this isn't an international thing) that the goldfish doesn't realize that it's swimming around the same bowl, so it's "happy" to keep circling that thing in ignorant bliss.

Well now. It IS a new bowl--every time. It IS a NEW goldfish--every time!! It may as well not be an ignorant bliss but a conscious bliss. Who knows? The goldfish has been reflecting this to us with patience and grace, with too many a service concluded with an unceremonious flush of a toilet.

I'm grateful to the goldfish for this service (at least in my reality lol) and for my own new appreciation. :D

Also Mythbusters busted the memory one so a double huzzah for the goldfish!!

🐠🐠🐠