Jay Befriends A Goldfish

Since today was our first nice day all year, and since Tuesdays are free, I was at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden this afternoon. If you happen to be in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, the botanical garden is a great place to kill a few hours. It's like any other city park, only more colorful and fragrant. I think I like the place so much because I am the Plant Grim Reaper, and I'm impressed when people can get anything at all to grow. Also, they have a beautiful Japanese garden, and since I know how much people enjoy looking at strangers' pictures, I've got some for you.



I was at the garden's Lily Pool Terrace, a couple of man-made ponds where the Garden shows off some species of underwater plants, and I made a new friend. An ichthyoid friend. One of the goldfish community living in the Lily Pool swam over to me, its puckering goldfish mouth breaking the water surface. Naturally, I anthropomorphized the creature: he's ostracized from the other fish in his school but he's got a good heart and he wants to get in with the new biped in the area. I should know better. I spent about ten years raising fish, and even though they invariably have no personality whatsoever, I always impose emotions on the creatures. "Look how happy the clownfish is when he's swimming through the castle!"

Which is bullshit. The clownfish isn't happy. He probably thinks the castle is banal and kitschy.