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Ocean in a Bowl

August 9, 2017 14 Comments

By Boris Glikman

One day, as I was walking my dog along the local beach, I saw a goldfish in its small fishbowl, floating along the edge of the ocean. Someone had obviously taken pity on their imprisoned pet and given it a taste of unbounded freedom, convincing the poor fish it was swimming without restraint.

At once it struck me—this is what my own existence has been all along; all this time convinced I was swimming freely in the vast ocean of life, whilst actually stuck in an impermeable puny fishbowl of my own making, carried along helplessly by the inexorable currents.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Boris says

    August 9, 2017 at 3:03 am

    thank you for publishing my story, much appreciated!

    Reply
  2. David Silver says

    August 9, 2017 at 7:11 am

    Fabulous contribution, Boris. Loved it.

    Reply
    • Boris says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      thank you David, appreciate your feedback.

      Reply
  3. tskraghu says

    August 9, 2017 at 7:24 am

    V nice thought!

    Reply
    • Kathy Duby says

      August 9, 2017 at 10:55 am

      Well done. Great insight. Keep writing.

      Reply
    • Boris says

      August 9, 2017 at 5:01 pm

      Thank you tskraghu and Kathy for your thoughts. I’m glad it resonated with you

      Reply
  4. Jeff Matthews says

    August 9, 2017 at 11:10 am

    Great story. I got such vivid images. More please

    Reply
    • Boris says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      thank you Jeff, appreciate your feedback. There might be a kind of a sequel coming.

      Reply
  5. Bobby Warner says

    August 9, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    Wonderful microcosm of life as in a fishbowl, sans freedom! Loved it.

    Reply
    • Boris says

      August 9, 2017 at 4:57 pm

      thank you Bobby, glad you liked it.

      Reply
  6. glkamens says

    August 9, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Fits the somewhat persuasive platonic notion that what we see of our lives is mostly an illusion. That is, we believe we are freely frolicking in a limitless ocean, but actually are in a feeble shell of our own creation.

    Jerry

    Reply
    • Boris says

      August 9, 2017 at 11:38 pm

      thank you Jerry, appreciate your thoughts!

      Reply
  7. Constanée Malik Hemedi says

    August 10, 2017 at 5:20 am

    So astute! I am in the process of smashing the bowl. No mean feat.

    Reply
    • Boris says

      August 10, 2017 at 10:00 am

      thank you Constaneee, appreciate your feedback. Good luck with smashing the bowl!

      Reply

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