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To be a fish manager
When I was 10, my parents bought a fishbowl for our house. There were about 10 fish. Since the fish were my first (and last) pets in my life, I stayed near the bowl all the time with unusual excitement. But soon, I gradually lost my interest in them.
One day, my mom told me. "At the moment you tend to look at them outside then pass by. But don't you remember that you were curious and grateful to them a few months ago? What if you participate in taking care of the bowl from now on? This means you'll clean the bowl and decorations inside, change water, and check their conditions." Now I assume that she just wanted to give me one of her chores, but back then my life as a young kid was much more energised with the role. My family called me a fish manager and I loved how I'm active and responsible of it.
When I changed the water inside I looked into every fish in detailed, then was even able to name them, telling differences of their appearances. Since then I didn't just pass by the bowl in the living room. Looking at them with effort and love made my mundane moments in the living room special.
Recently I've been just thinking how I'm reacting on the contents I see on the web. When I find some interesting contents, I tend to add them to my browser bookmark. I express my attention and interest with a quick click a 'star' icon (on the browser tab), thinking that they're good so I'll revisit. In fact, however, I barely open my bookmark. I'm often oblivious of the web contents. Perhaps this is because I know they are just here all the time, taking them for granted.
Thus I thought like: 'What if I make my own fishbowl on the web, as a container of information I like? What if I use a different way of bookmarking, by making small memos when I find intriguing contents?'
Through this way I'll be again the fish manager, then might feel the subtle energy and joy from the 'Non-dynamic web surfing'.
Now I wonder if I could retrieve my curiosity on the web that I've lost for a while from this small activity of making notes in the fish bowl.
26th May 2022
Nami