Finding Nemo

Do you sometimes think that you live in a fishbowl and spend all your time looking outside of the glass? Or that you are content to just swim around in circles knowing that you are in your space. Occasionally, when the cat takes a big swipe at your bowl, things get a little sideways – so to speak – and you are not sure you want to be in a fishbowl. The ocean is calling. . .Nemo. Fishbowls are made of glass so you can see all the possibilities that surround you.

Nemo got caught and put in a fishbowl, escaped, and spent the rest of the movie journeying back home. Along the way he encountered many adventures, other creatures, and even some scary experiences. His escapades served a greater purpose for him. He liked his way of life, but he had grown and was a much happier fish. (That’s my take on the story, anyway.)

Life is a series of fishbowls and we jump from one to another due to our growth, our needs and sometimes just our wants. But it is how you view your time in your fishbowl that matters. Is it a prison, a cave, paradise, and/or a window to other fishbowls?

My sweetie and I have recently been looking at retirement communities. We’re not at the place where we want or even need to move. We’ve only been in our new house a year and a half and we are surrounded by all the urban things we wanted. We can easily walk to shopping, food, drink and a huge lovely lake. We are just looking outside our fishbowl and future possibilities, should the need arise to make a change.

What we discovered is that there are different types of retirement communities. Some are very happy, with a positive vibe, and feature resort-type living. Others simply feel like someplace you go to die, in other words, lifeless. The important part of the looking was to demonstrate that, no way in hell, are we ready for this. But there is nothing wrong in the looking. It’s like trying on swimsuits. Some of them make your a$$ look huge. Others painfully squash your boobs. And then there is that one-in-twenty that look downright awesome. That’s when you know that it is right.

So thank you, Nemo, for showing us that our fishbowls can and should change.