A Professor's Perspective
The professor and Michael swimming and chatting in the tank
Well, I truly had no idea what was going on. I vaguely remember The Event, but only as a great upheaval, oh, such a stressful time moving is. I must admit I was very happy with my home at the University there, I found Fishop such a charming little place, you know lovely owner that she is, always smiling at the customers who come in. Oh, and the variety of fish in there it is staggering. I think that was my favourite part of being a lecturer there was always hearing new stories from different part of the globe, hearing new languages and meeting the owners of these and other curious dialects.
Now, here in this little tank, I know, I shouldn't really complain, I mean, there is more room, here, it's definitely more luxuriant than I'm used to. But, honestly, I'm just a simple fish, I chose the simple life, I admit: the food in Fishop was a little bad, and the bed was too hard, not enough room and zero privacy from the students. But I was there for the students, to help educate them in the ways of a tank, help them to be brave before they moved on. Well, regardless, I really didn't want this assignment, but the Chancellor of the University told me he was about to implement a 'Corporate Restructuring', which meant I either had to retire from my position and only draw my Finshion from the food, or accept a new position. Now, I suppose, it was nice of him to give me a warning and ready my students for my departure. They were so sweet, especially Michael, my brightest student. He jumped into the net after me to make sure I wouldn't be bullied in my new home. Oh, such a promising career at the University, just thrown away, I mean he was just finishing his Thesis, 'The Structure of Fishiety', which looked like a mind blowing theory for a truly fair Social Fyshstem. He's such a sweet boy you know, that even when I told him to get out and not sacrifice these opportunities for me he refused, telling me that it was 'an unjust action, by an unintelligent individual, who I refuse to condone by continuing to remain within his corpus.'
Well, he does still need helping with his communication skills, sadly, like all great minds his words are easily overcomplicated and those holding a lower lexis are left perplexed by his syntax.
Now, where was I?
Ahh, that's it, so Michael, the sweetheart saved me from the loneliness I feared most of all in the new tank. I mean, other fish are fine, but I really don't know how long I could last without being stimulated by intellectual conversation. However, that should have been the least of my fears. I always thought the University was a simple sacrifice you know. The points listed above were my continual little grievances; auch! You would never guess the shock I had in the new place. It was worse than the hours of earthquakes I experienced during The Event and the aftershocks last until this very minute!
Had I been a very lucky fish, I could have lived out my long last days in a quiet little tank with just a few other fintellectuals for company, meeting for fish-flakes every evening before a shirt stroll round the tank and retiring to bed early. Well, this was not going to be that kind of placement. For starters, the tank, although it is beautiful has an overwhelmingly fast current. An elderly fish like myself finds it very difficult to fin against that all day, sometimes I can shelter behind the trees but its such a popular place to rest that I let the other, young fish rest there as well, I mean their fins are too small to keep battling that force all the time.
I have mentioned that Michael made the journey with me; well, there are nine of us in total: Three Royal ??Swanfish and six, loyal, servant Swanfish, I am one of the latter and feel proud to be so close to Their Majesties. However, one of the less able students, goes by the name of Martin is having the hardest time of all. Sadly he is one of those born with a brain, but not enough of one to know how to use it! He heard Michael saying that it is a perfect opportunity to establish a 'Fair Fyshstem' instead of a 'Fishtocratic' community. Well, I don't quite think that Martin really understood what Michael had said as he went cross-eyed and excused himself by saying he needed to do some 'Bowling Team Practice'.
Well, I thought that would have been the last civil conversation between the two as Michael can't stand jock-fish and as for Martin, well, he can't understand what's being said to him. He is such a simpleton, instead of approaching the Royalty as he should have he continued to nip their fins and run away. Such a mark of cowardice. Since Michael had been so kind to me, I wanted to make sure Martin wouldn't do the same to him, so I decided to have a little talk to him about bullying. Now, he is an awfully big chap so instead of saying the word bully I used another word, I can't remember what it was now, I mean it can't have been too important, but I remember our conversation started like this.
"I'm sure you understand that your punishment of others is unfair."
"Damned sure this punishment is unfair, I mean here!" He replied.
"Good, so maybe if you're nice to them and reward them it would be nicer for everyone?"
"Reward, yes, maybe my punishment is a reward for them." He seemed to be confused, so I tried to explain more.
"Right, stop, punishing them, just reward them instead."
"Yes, punish reward." I really didn't feel he was understanding me, so I tried to simplify more.
"Let's just change our perspective. Now, imagine if you were a little fish and not such a big one. How would you feel if you were nipped by you?"
His eyes seemed to glaze over. I could tell that he was having trouble understanding me, I re-explained.
"Perspective is when you look at something from a different way." He remained stone-eyed. I decided my words were too difficult still, so I tried to talk to him like a baby. I continued,
"so if you look at the pyramids in Egypt. From the side they look like triangles right?"
"Triangles."
"From below they look like squares."
"Yes, squares."
"But really they are pyramids, yes? Well, that's perspective."
"Ahh, perspective, triangles, squares, pyramids" Gotcha.
"Good, I'm glad we understand each other."
Well, I tried my best to help Michael, maybe return the favour you know. I just don't think I will survive here very long, not with the sun changing colour and times, and what not, it makes all the stress buldge up inside me, now I'm just fit to burst. Well, there's also the current and the water, the water isn't as good as the University. In fact I am pretty sure that my life at the University was more luxuriant than this. Well, I really hope that Martin doesn't bully my Michael. Something did seem to glimmer in his eyes when we spoke.
I just hope that my words will remain with him.
Photos: Top, Tepaitank, our home; Below, The Proffessor and Michael
Labels: fish photo, tropical fish
