I'm haunted by something I saw four months ago while watching the local fishermen on the Oceanside pier. The fisherman have white buckets and if you look inside you'll see what they've caught; sometimes the fish get released, others get eaten and some are used for bait.
This particular morning though, there was one little fish flopping around on the pier and people were simply ignoring it. I don't know who caught it or who threw it on the ground. I don't know why it wasn't thrown back or placed in a bucket but it was flopping around and no one seemed to care.
Well, that's not true, I cared, but it wasn't my fish.
I debated in my head the pros and cons of saving the flopping fish. I thought about buying the fish from the owner but I wasn't sure who the owner was. I was weary of winding up in an ethics battle with local fishermen over the treatment of fish. The fish continued to suffer while I stood there and debated with myself.
Ultimately, I decided to do nothing. I walked away and I have regretted the decision ever since. A simple scoop and toss from me would've saved the fish. I could've done something to save a life and I did not. The sight of that sad fish flopping around has haunted me. I was offered the opportunity to play God and I declined. I don't think the fish was aware I was watching it and I'm not aware of a God watching over me. However, if there is a God, I hope he feels as guilty as I do for just for standing by and watching. And in the future, If I come across another dying fish, I hope I will be better than God. I hope I will intervene.
1 comment:
If you believe in an all powerful god, then you have to believe that anything that manifests in his/her creation is god's will. So that means that god wants flopping fish and morally confused bloggers.
Post a Comment