A Random Musing

So I was at the doctor's office the other day, and in the waiting room is a huge fish tank. Like six feet long, by three feet high, by two feet wide huge. As I waited, (and waited, and waited, and waited) for the nurse to call me inside, I watched the fish in the tank. At first it looked like the silver ones swam with the silver ones and the long skinny ones swam with other long skinny ones, but then they'd switch direction and seem to swim at random. It was much more interesting than watching the television.

I wondered if they conversed in some aqua language. Were they happy? Do the guppies fight with the other little fish? Did they know they were swimming in circles or did they think they were in the coral reef? Did they care? Was a clean home and free food sufficient? My guess is, yes, they're happy. They weren't given the blessing/curse of higher intelligence, and since they know nothing else, they have nothing to compare their existence to, nor would their tiny fish brain register those thoughts.

Humans on the other hand, have many other experiences to compare their lives to, and that can be an endless life-journey to "discover" happiness. It's our nature to want more, to better our lives and the lives of our family, but that endless searching can wear a person down. When is enough enough? I have no answer for that. I just know I'd rather be a free and frustrated human rather than a clean and well-fed fish.