When I lived in Hawaii attending BYU-Hawaii, I lived off campus in a house on the beach. Marc also lived in a house on the beach. We would often meet up to go snorkeling in the evening and catch fish for the aquarium I had at my house. We would use a net and bucket to catch fish right out of the sea and then bring them up to my house and pour them in.
We had a few lessons to learn. Such as, finding out which fish ate each other, etc. We caught many different varieties. One variety of fish we caught was a "file fish" these fish are bottom dwellers in their natural environment. In the aquarium the 'file fish' learned to come up to the top of the water to eat the fish food with every body else.
Another unusual characteristic was that they had fins on the top and bottom that sort of looked like helicopter propellers. They spun around and around keeping them upright.
Marc named his favorite file fish, Stan. I would eat breakfast every morning in front of the tank and feed the fish. They became accustomed to my presence and we would sort of eat breakfast together. The fish chomping down store bought fish food,and myself, chomping down store bought cereal. If I was eating frosted flakes, it actually looked very similar.
When the semester ended and it was time head to the mainland for the summer, Marc and I decided we would take the fish back out to the ocean and release them. We put on our snorkel gear and headed out with our red bucket full of our fish. Marc waded quite far out into the water and I swam over as each fish was released.
Our trumpet fish and our angel fish swam quickly away. The others took time to become adjusted to the waves and water. Unfortunately, our favorite little file fish, Stan, was not doing very well in the currents.
He dropped quickly down to the bottom and was being tossed to and fro, by the pull of the waves. He was actually 'upside down' at one point. Marc and I looked at each other through our goggles, sadly, wondering what to do. Marc dove down and straightened him out, placing him upright and helping him steady himself.
We kept a close eye on him. Eventually he started to muster some strength. He then, made his way to the top of the water, where we were. Remember, file fish don't swim at the top, they live on the bottom where the coral reefs are. Stan, the fish, swam right up to Marc's mask and stopped there. It was like he was visiting him through the glass of the aquarium, yet there was no glass between them.
Marc carefully extended his hand. Stan stayed in front of him using his little propeller fins to be still. Marc then placed his finger right on top of Stan's little fishy head and was actually able to 'pet' him, stroking his head back and forth. It was magical. It was like Stan was coming back to say thank you and goodbye.
Stan then swam to the top of the ocean right by the surface and curiously swam away out of sight. Stan the fish taught us a lesson by his brave little change that day. Just because you have always been a bottom dweller doesn't mean you can't change!!!
Love you Jeffery!!!!!!!
Aunt deb