Reflecting Upon the Lives of Trout (On Purpose)

There was a place not too far from my apartment in Armenia that would prepare fish barbecued, boiled, or broiled, upon request. The primary business though was the sale of fresh fish picked out of a giant water tank in the middle of the room. Their specialty was Sevan trout, a species native to Armenia's largest lake.

The fish were bred in hatcheries in villages outside of the capital and brought in regularly. The hatcheries ran constant fresh water into basins filled with fish and allowed for their quick growth. Looking into the water all one would see is a constant swirl of silver and black. 

The store was operated by surly and stoic individuals not prone to chatter or discourse. Exchanging pleasantries was an unpleasant experience, given that polite questions were met with grunts, snorts or silence. 

Though I am not fond of fish, I would occasionally find myself at this shop. I would stand beside the tank and watch one of the employees scoop a fish or two into the net and then dump them into a large sink. The fish would flop around gasping for air until a woman with in a white apron walked over and bludgeoned the fish on the forehead with a small plastic rod with a heavy spherical tip. 

The fish ceased to move; their tiny brain smashed in.

I wonder about the lives of these fish. Born and bred to be food, living a life outside of nature's intention. They are given purpose and they are unaware. And their existence is predicated on the needs of others, and their lives end with just a small amount of force. 

After the death the fish are descaled, a knife running opposite against the direction of their skin. Thin flakes of their protective layer are spilled into the sink, followed by a gutting of their innards so that only the good bits remain.

It occurs to me that this is not unlike our own lives.We too are creatures born and bred for a purpose of which we are completely unaware, striving to live, dying without knowing why. The good bits are the memories and marks we leave on others.