About

Kids used to call me fish face. It wasn’t because I looked like a fish. They just called me that because I always had at least one fish bowl or aquarium filled to the gills with shimmering and colorful fish.

My dad got me my first fish bowl when I was in first grade. It wasn’t any bigger than a mixing bowl but it made the perfect home for a gold fish. I named the fish Jenny after a girl I liked. She never knew it and my friend Bobby didn’t tell her since I threatened to never let him play with my remote control car again if he did.

I’m 50 years old now and my wife has had her fill of aquariums. I’m what you call a tropical fish hobbyist. Our home has an aquarium in every room, including a 50-gallon tank in our bedroom. My wife says the bubbly filter keeps her awake and that she always feels the fish are staring at her.

I tell her my fish fetish is a blessing in disguise. Sometimes she agrees and sometimes she doesn’t. I think I convinced her when I said it’s much better to be watching beautiful shimmering fish than going to football games since I will always be home to hold her hand.