He's a fishy guy

He's a fishy guy
Originally uploaded by StoopidGirl.

I was walking down the Seal Beach pier in California this morning when I happened upon a fish. He was a random fish just flopping around, horribly gasping for his last breaths. For a couple of days I have thought about taking pictures, I have carried my camera on my shoulder looking for something to come my way. It’s one of those things when you are looking for it, searching, and trying to force it to come out it will never happen. I had almost forgotten my camera in the car and a split second decision it was back at my side. I ate breakfast with a few friends and afterwards we wandered in the direction of water. I’ve been in California about a month now and still haven’t set foot near the ocean. When we happened upon the fish I knew it was my chance. I could feel it. Here was this poor creature with no one to help him, not even I. I was merely a spectator. I quickly grabbed my camera, stuck it on the “action” setting and started shooting away. Click, click, click. As I shot the fish was violently flopping, I couldn’t even tell if he was in frame, and passers by were looking at me like I was insane. “Whatever” I thought, they can think of me what they want, the fish is dying anyway. I might as well get an emotional, journalistic photograph out of its strife. Then I heard this happy voice saying something like “You lika my feesh? That’sa my feesh, he got away.”, next thing you know there is another fish hanging from a line in front of some children who had started watching me, his body convulsing and tail just bairly touching the boards of the pier and I hear the same voice, “The feeshy is doin a little dance for you!”.
I look up to see an elderly gentleman with one of the biggest grins on his face I’ve seen in years. He was a naturally born entertainer. I was distracted by the fish on the ground and my attention was towards the inside of the new fishes’ gaping mouth. How interesting it would be to take a photo directly down its throat. I asked the gentleman if I could take a picture. He misunderstood the photo I had intended to take, smiled, held up his fish, stuck out his tongue, and I pushed the trigger. As I walked away I reviewed my photos paying no mind to the snapshot I had just taken. Oh well, I thought, it doesn’t seem like any of the “Feeshy” photos will be worth while. They’re out of focus, the lighting is too strong or I’ve cut off the fishes head (not literally). MY boyfriend asked me what the man had said to me and I didn’t really have an answer, “Ummmm, he asked me if I liked his fish…I think.” As the day progressed I took a nap and did my usual Sunday procrastinating. During this time I just kept thinking about what a funny old man that guy was, and then I emptied the contents of my camera onto my computer.
It just goes to show that sometimes it’s not the want or desire for things to happen, sometimes it’s the journey that gets you there which matters the most and gives you the best result. I hope this photo makes you smile as it does me.

The Fellow gave me his business card during my brief experience, it turns out he has a Hungarian Import store and Delicatessen up in Burbank…I think if I ever get up that way I’ll have to stop in. www.hungariandeli.com