Unaware.
Like fish, unaware.
Unaware of the water in which they live.

Tony said this to me this morning: “It is a strange fish that knows the existence of water.” As if he, placed in a river and given fins, would be the sole fish who would conquer his surroundings. To have the knowledge. To be aware.

This all seems like bullshit to me. After a bit of investigation I found that in fact, many people pride themselves on the use of simile when discoursing on fish. Humans in culture are like fish in water. Or perhaps our longings and habits, of which we have no control, makes us like fish–unaware.

Because they see the world through it, the story goes, it is entirely transparent to them. Whatever they chose to do, and wherever they swim, they are confined to do it within the boundaries of water. They are not suited to survive outside of it.

Now, I’ve been guilty of this same thing. I once wrote a poem that began with that image–“Like fish unaware of the water in which they live, who change direction in an instant…” but the point was love, or an image of love, where I concluded with the phrase, “I know only you who is of my body.” This doesn’t place me above the fray, but it does redirect the focus.

You see, the most dramatic thing about fish is not this theoretical conjecture about their awareness, but unified movements and hyped-up perception of the school. Formations and directions and never a collision. A complex combination of senses that allows fish to achieve those smooth movements. With no leader, each fish must respond to the movements of others.

If one fish moves in a different direction, all the others sense it and move accordingly. Eyes on the side of the head allows the fish to readily see what is next to them and respond. But that’s not all–they also use hearing, sight, and a sense of smell. Does this describe something that is unaware? I don’t think so.

So, the next time you are trying to bolster your image and compare yourself to those naive fishes–just keep this in mind. Have you ever tried synchronized swimming?