by JANNETTE RAMIREZ
W
hen I first joined this fish club, the GCAS, I was going through a lot of “firsts” in my life. I was newly engaged with my boyfriend of 5 years, and I was leaving a current job that I had for 10 years for a new one with new opportunities. This new job would require many sacrifices which I did not see at the time, but it allowed me to experience many rewards that I would not have partaken in, had I remained in my original employment. Last but not least, I became a member of an aquarium society. I had never been a member of any type of club where people gathered together regularly to discuss and share a common interest or hobby. I was new to the fishkeeping hobby, and I wanted to learn all that I could about properly caring for, raising, and maintaining my water-living creatures. The club met only once a month, and yet those hours shared were (and still are) so cherished. The knowledge obtained by our guest speakers on various topics, the auctions, the raffles, the monthly magazine full of interesting articles, and the laughs we share with our fellow club members on trivial occurrences during our meetings! The friendly and warm atmosphere our club emits is amazing (and at times…very overwhelmingly loud!). Throughout our lives, whether we intend to or not, we touch and affect people in different ways (and vice versa). A simple smile, a word of
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
advice, or simply lending an ear can be all it takes to change someone else’s life and direction. During these last four years of being a GCAS member I have learned a lot, and this has opened my eyes to other areas in my life that were lacking due to ‘settling,’ and feeling that what I had was all there was to be. Although sometimes one’s life experiences can overwhelm one and take their toll…by the same token those same experiences can change you and make you stronger in ways you didn’t know that you could ever be. In my case, it took four years of monthly meetings for me to see that there was someone out there who could clearly see what my fiancé could not in the nine years that we were together. Although I had felt disconnected and taken for granted, the engagement kept us bound to each other. I got tired of trying to salvage what love was left, and decided to move on. The engagement was off, and a nine year relationship ended ironically (but not intentionally) two days prior to the 4th of July—Independence Day! Now I am being courted by a ‘Splendid Betta,’ or is it ‘Betta splendens’? Hmm… I have trouble getting that straight, but I’m sure all of you can understand what I’m trying to say. Who would have thought that Oscars and Bettas were so compatible? I will keep a thorough log, and let you know if there are any signs of a bubblenest forming…;)
June 2007
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