Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Weighty Thoughts of a Pet Store Goldfish





This weekend's Trifextra challenge is to take those big, brawny brains of ours and examine our greatest fears, in a neat and tidy 33 words, no less. My fear is to end up like this golden fellow.



The Weighty Thoughts of a Pet Store Goldfish

I fear.........a life without purpose.

Like the goldfish in the goblet-sized pet store glass,
Swimming
Endlessly.
Going nowhere.

Amid a world of wonder
Just beyond the glass.
Release
but a jump away.





32 comments:

  1. This is great Tom! I love the goldfish metaphor. Beautiful capture of one of my own fears.

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  2. Thanks, Jo-Anne! I always appreciate your positive energy and support. :)

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  3. Glad you could relate, Suzanne. Thanks for your very kind words. :)

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  4. A great take on the prompt Tom. 'A life without purpose' now that really is frightening.

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    1. Thanks for your comment. I can't imagine my life that way. The tedium would be excruciating!

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  5. Great!
    I think the fear 'A life without purpose' is so intense that we are afraid to state that fear.

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    1. What an awesome comment! Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to stop by.

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  6. Great human emotion captured. Good take.

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    1. Nothing like a good metaphor to brighten one's day, eh? :) Good to see you back on my blog, Lumdog. It has been too long.

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  8. Fabulously put and a perfect last line. Great write, Tom. Thanks for linking up and don't forget to come back and vote for your top three!

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    1. Thanks, folks! I like the ending, too. We make lots of mistakes because of our fears, don't we? :)

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  9. This is fantastic, Tom! That last line is stellar...well the entire metaphor. This is one of my biggest fears as well.

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    1. Glad you stopped by, Gina! We all fear being irrelevant on some level so, this seemed like a natural choice for this particular challenge. I could not bear simply to exist without doing something positive and proactive with my time and my life.

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  10. As if I needed any more reason to feel sad for goldfish!

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    1. I tend to find pet stores, zoos, etc., to be depressing places, personally. But, those goldfish in the little cups are the worst, for sure. Do the goldfish even realize how small their world is?

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  11. I like the metaphor. I've never had a goldfish because it feels so sad to have them in such a small space, seeing everything around them, but they can only swim circles. Having purpose is necessary for a full life. Without it, we can look in the wrong places (drugs, alcohol, law-breaking, etc.) to find something to fill the emptiness.

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    1. Thanks for the nice comment. Can't imagine living an aimless life. I know that there are those who do and, you are correct, they often find escape in the wrong places. I wish more people found purpose in positive places. Maybe our world and their lives, would be the better for it. :)

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  12. Great choice of metaphor.. and well penned... one of my favs this week

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    1. Well now, that is high praise, indeed! Thanks, Bjorn. :)

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  13. This is terrific, Tom!
    Can you get any smaller and more insignifcant than a goldfish in a bowl?
    This: world of wonder just beyond that glass
    Feeling your fear, my friend!

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  14. Whenever I find myself in a pet store, I have an overwhelming urge to buy every goldfish that finds itself in a little glass! But then, I stop and think to myself........where would I take them? Would they be happier with their own kind in a larger locale? Or, are they happy in their tiny world, just like a babe in swaddling? I don't really think about goldfish that often but, when I do, I am vexed! :)

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  15. Great smiley! :) Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.

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  16. just like Gina's , I loved yours too. I wake and close my eyes every night hoping that I am living a life worthy of the breaths I take.

    I loved this Tom.

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  17. No worries, Kir! Your positive demeanor makes everyone around you brighten. You are, indeed, worthy of your place in this world. Thanks, as always, for your gracious comments. :)

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  18. Oh, what a fantastic metaphor. You've crafted a beautiful piece that perfectly conveys the very real fear of not making an impact in this world and feeling trapped. Excellent work, as always.

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    1. Thank you, you multi-award winner, You! :) I appreciate you taking the time to find my work in the sea of so many other terrific pieces of writing. Congratulations on all of the accolades heaped upon you. You have earned every honour. :)

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    2. Thank you, Tom! That is incredibly sweet of you. :) I just saw your comment on my story "For You, I Will." I replied, but in case you don't make it back there, thank you for your continued praise and support of my writing. I am fairly new to sharing my work. (I used to just write something and shove it in a file.) The Trifecta community has made me feel so welcome. Thank you again for all your kind words!

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    3. I am fairly new to publicly sharing my work, too. I think I have written for most of my life but, only recently, thanks to Trifecta in particular, have I ever shared my work with others. I value the support I have received from everyone in Trifecta and, as a result, I think my work is slowing getting better. I am definitely not a heavy hitter in this community but, I have the odd moment, now and again. So, being helpful to others almost goes without saying. I am happy to offer you any support I can and, rest assured, my words are not just given out of politeness, they are completely and totally deserved. :)

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