Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and the minions for reading.
Copyright Douglas M. MacIlroy
“Sam, what’s the meaning of life? I mean, when it comes down to it, why are we even here?”
“Food?”
“Are you trying to be funny, Sam? I’m asking you a serious question. I’d appreciate a serious answer.”
“Food.”
“Is that all you ever think about?”
“Food?”
“You know that’s why you’re so fat, right?”
“Food?”
“Yes, food. For cripes sake, Sam. Are you even paying attention? ”
The boy at the edge of the pond threw another handful of breadcrumbs into the water.
“FOOD!”
Sam gobbled the soggy bread and Margaret kept babbling about the meaning of it all.
Adam Ickes 
October 30th, 2013 at 8:19 AM
hahahaha This is true on many levels, even with us humans. 🙂
October 30th, 2013 at 1:09 PM
Indeed. Thanks for stopping by, Anja.
October 30th, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Ha! That is sweet and funny. Lovely perspective! 🙂
-HA
October 30th, 2013 at 1:09 PM
Thanks, HA. Glad you liked it!
October 30th, 2013 at 9:19 AM
Lol. Woe to the fish who ponders the existential questions in life.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:13 PM
Just wait until she tells them Janet was abducted by the aliens. She’s going to ignite a frenzy of hysteria.
October 30th, 2013 at 2:05 PM
If they listen long enough before getting distracted by food, lol.
October 30th, 2013 at 9:33 AM
Haha love it 🙂
October 30th, 2013 at 1:15 PM
Thanks, Al. Glad you enjoyed it!
October 30th, 2013 at 12:37 PM
The existential pondering of fish & men. Perhaps the sexes as well. Momma always said the quickest way to a man is through his stomach. This is great.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:14 PM
I have to disagree with momma. The quickest way to a man is to simply show interest.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:16 PM
It’s that easy? Phew! I’m not into cooking. 😉
October 30th, 2013 at 1:18 PM
It’s that easy if he realizes you’re showing interest. Me, I’m a dense fool when it comes to women so my wife had to put in a bit more work than that.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:21 PM
I would say most women have to put in a little more work. But in the end it is usually worth the effort.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:14 PM
The struggle with the meaning of life precludes the formulation of religion. Perhaps your story and mine have some weird bit of woven chronology secreted beneath the surface.
And maybe those are some persuasively good bread crumbs.
October 30th, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Hey, don’t lump me in with your Aquaman story. You chose to write about that failure of a superhero, not me!
Just kidding, lump away. I’ll be glad to take credit for part of the timeline of a deranged lunatic who thinks fish pray to him. Ah, damn! You tricked me! It is Aquaman!
October 30th, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Philosophical fish, don’t you ya just love ’em? Very funny Adam.
October 30th, 2013 at 3:05 PM
She’s an oddity for sure, but the world would be a dull place without the occasional philosophical fish.
October 30th, 2013 at 2:14 PM
Sam may not have the last word but he will have the last crumb
Fun flction
October 30th, 2013 at 2:24 PM
Sam is definitely a man (or fish rather) of few words. Margaret talks enough for the both of them.
October 30th, 2013 at 4:08 PM
A cosmic piece all right and fun as well. Wonder who’s going to find we human beings food — an alien race or some resurgent member of the animal kingdom? Sam’s got it more right than he probably knows!
November 5th, 2013 at 7:32 AM
We are at the top of the food chain because nothing wants to eat us. I have it on good authority that we don’t taste very good. That why aliens choose to probe us rather than harvest us.
October 30th, 2013 at 4:19 PM
Brilliant! I see Sam has his priorities straight.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:33 AM
He does. Whether they are the correct priorities is up for debate though.
October 30th, 2013 at 6:13 PM
He tried to tell her..
November 5th, 2013 at 7:34 AM
He may live longer, but he’s going to miss her constant nagging when she’s gone.
October 30th, 2013 at 6:30 PM
Very funny!
Typical male…
November 5th, 2013 at 7:34 AM
I would take offense to that if it weren’t true. haha
October 30th, 2013 at 7:46 PM
Oh, for simpler pleasures. Don’t you just love the way fish think? Good stuff, Adam. Like it.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:36 AM
if food was the only thing to think about it’d be a pretty dull life I think. Though Margaret may be at the opposite end of the spectrum. She thinks too much.
October 30th, 2013 at 8:40 PM
One of my favourites so far. brilliant stuff.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:36 AM
Thanks! Much appreciated.
October 30th, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Love the rhythm of this one, Adam. Wonderful writing, and fun to read!
November 5th, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Thank you. I had fun writing this one. I picture them as an old married couple who have been together for many years, just in fish form.
November 5th, 2013 at 1:07 PM
Love that image!
October 30th, 2013 at 10:27 PM
LOL Margaret may be a little too advanced for simple Sam ^^ nice story
November 5th, 2013 at 7:38 AM
That may be true, but if Margaret doesn’t start thinking about food occasionally simple Sam is going to out live her.
October 31st, 2013 at 6:40 AM
Dear Adam,
Food? Philosophical fish go hungry. Food for thought. Do fish think?
Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
November 5th, 2013 at 7:39 AM
Having never been a fish I can’t say for certain whether or not they think, but I’d like to think they do.
October 31st, 2013 at 6:40 AM
Dear Adam,
Food for thought? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
I enjoyed this. Getting therapy tomorrow. Will ask Doctor about the meaning of it all.
Aloha,
Doug
November 5th, 2013 at 7:41 AM
If Doctor answered with “food” then you should probably find a new doctor.
Hope all is well with you. Always a pleasure to hear from you, Doug.
October 31st, 2013 at 12:54 PM
Ha! Well I think that about says it all for the philosophy of some fish. Some of them go deeper than others? Great story! 😀
November 5th, 2013 at 7:42 AM
Also, the deeper you go, the scarcer the food. Poor Margaret isn’t going to get any of the bread.
October 31st, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Loved this. This almost feels like a discourse or observation on human sexual politics as well.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:44 AM
I assure you I am not that deep. Any resemblance to a discourse or observation on human sexual politics is purely coincidental and/or done on the subconscious level.
November 5th, 2013 at 8:49 AM
So what you’re saying is that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar?
November 5th, 2013 at 9:17 AM
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
October 31st, 2013 at 5:18 PM
Looks like Margaret and Sam need to broaden their social circle so they can include both foodies and thinkers at their dinner parties. Fun story.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:45 AM
You’re probably right. They could use a broader circle of friends.
November 1st, 2013 at 2:36 AM
A koi after my own heart…and tummy. 🙂
November 5th, 2013 at 7:47 AM
You enjoy a nice chunk of soggy bread now and again, then, do you? 🙂
November 2nd, 2013 at 10:13 AM
It reminds me of the seagulls in Finding Nemo, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” 🙂
November 5th, 2013 at 7:47 AM
Fish (and seagulls…especially seagulls) can be real jerks when it comes to food. That’s for sure.
November 3rd, 2013 at 1:31 PM
What else is there to think about, right? I guess they do have to worry about not being eaten! Nicely done.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:49 AM
When you get to be their size, the worry of being eaten goes away a bit, I would think. Sam has it right. Eat to exist and exist to eat.
November 3rd, 2013 at 2:06 PM
A philosopher fish. Like it.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:51 AM
Being a philosopher fish is all well and good, but it doesn’t put soggy bread in the rumbling tummy. The proper time to be philosophical is not feeding time. Being a thinker, Margaret should know that.
November 4th, 2013 at 7:28 AM
When I was young, I stood at the edge of catfish ponds, and the finny critters swarmed at the water’s edge. They popped their heads out, and I know that in all their gaping, there was one thing on their minds: food. Thanks for bringing that memory back. Wonderful story.
November 5th, 2013 at 7:52 AM
I’ve done the same thing many times. It was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the prompt. That is where this story was born.
November 5th, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Well done.
I would say more. But I’m hungry.
November 6th, 2013 at 1:37 AM
Cute. Good thing swimming is such good exercise!