Dear Rose # 43 - The Pinball Catfish: A Lesson in Oneness and Anxiety

Rose is an amalgam of us - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are looking for somewhere they are seen, heard and listened to.

Dear Rose,

Whenever I walk into the room where my fish tank is after an absence of a few hours, one of my Otocinclus catfish ricochets around the tank like a pinball and then hides behind the filter.

Otos are a tiny, sensitive breed with a skittish nature, which makes her behaviour normal for her. She thinks I’m some kind of  giant predator that’s just walked into her space; she hasn’t quite worked out that I’m the one who cares for her. The other fish breed I keep, Mollies, know exactly who I am and swim to the glass begging for food. No wonder they are known as the Labradors of the fish world.

When I see my Oto behave in such an extreme way, on one level it freaks me out—and on another, I get it. Sometimes, when I enter certain rooms or am around specific people, I want to ricochet like a pinball and hide behind something, too.

And so, when I see my Oto do it, I’m reminded of that yogic principle: that we are all one.

Love, Em xx