Something Fishy

I opened the newspaper the other day and saw the obituary of one of my former classmates.  I didn't recognize him--not because decades have passed, but because, in the photo, he was standing back, with a hat on, behind a large fish.  I did recognize his name, though, and felt bad to learn his life had been short.

 

The next day, I opened the newspaper to find two obituaries, side by side, of my classmate and another man, both standing back, with hats on, behind large fish.  The images of both the men and of the fish were almost identical.  I had never seen anything like that before in my life!  And I started to wonder--maybe these are the obituaries for fish?

 

I have seen people pictured with their beloved dogs.  One time, an obit picture showed a man holding a black hen.  It had not occurred to me at the time that the hen may also have been dead, and its loved ones in need of notification.

 

Are the pets dying along with their masters, like some kind of ancient Egyptian ritual?

 

Obviously, the fish pictured have probably been dead for some time, by now.

 

I wonder if my obituary picture should include all of the insects and spiders I've killed in my lifetime.  To be honest, it has never occurred to me before now to save them, photograph them, or even give them another thought.  But maybe I'm really missing out on something here.  Imagine if everyone's obituary showed the impact that person's life had had on the animal world.  Like some kind of carbon footprint, on display as a testimony of the lethality of their life to other lives.

 

We may be on to something.

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