Today is the second birthday of my second betta, a momentous occasion if ever there was one. While the extraordinary Norton von Spudley isn’t quite the charmer his predecessor Buddy the Betta was, he has grown to be an endearing little fellow in his own right over these last 24 months, flitting and scooting to and fro as he vacuums the gravel for remnants from breakfast, flipping the tail to all who dare peer too closely into his cozy abode.
Back in the days of South Bay {nearly a full three months ago, if you can believe that}, my little Buddy served as a regular contributor, guest penning my In Step column with his “In Swim” spinoff, often grumbling about the nuances of those pesky humans and offering observations on everything from the decor of his bowl to his meal schedule to the temperature of his heated Poland Spring® water. All important stuff in the daily life of a fish. Though his time in the staff box may have been short-lived, his 21 months in my world made it infinitely brighter indeed.
It’s amazing how quickly things change, while at the same time seeming to stand so very… incredibly… still. If you had asked me at the start of the year where I would be at this point, I’d probably have said I’d likely be sitting at the same desk at the same job I had been chipping away at for the last 13 years, busily working on the next issue of our magazine, planning for the new year and composing some sort of collection of holiday columns for publication over the next several weeks.
And, odd as it may seem, I might have been fairly content with that plan. Until I wasn’t. And I realized there was an entire world beyond my little corner of it, beckoning to be explored. It’s not that I was unaware of this fact before; more that my reluctance to embrace change had allowed me to settle for what I thought was the best I could hope to accomplish - good enough, as they say. But is it, truly? Only if you believe it to be.
As we enter this season of celebration, of giving thanks and of looking ahead to the new year, I find it helpful to reflect upon the one that has {nearly} passed us by. There are lessons to be learned, certainly, but also signs of hope and encouragement for better days ahead.
Case in point: my once tiny speck of a Spudley, now a fully grown crowntail specimen, continually blossoming and flourishing with each passing week, stretching his fins to their full potential. Perhaps we can all learn a few things from him.
Published: November 28, 2018