Small Pond

Webster defines captivity as, “the state of being kept in a place (such as a prison or a cage) and not being able to leave or be free: the state or condition of being captive.”

Space Dependent Growth is defined as, “the relationship between growth rate and environmental space”, in an article by Natalya D. Gallo and William R. Jeffery. The article depicts a study of the effects the environment plays into the development of fish.

Can you be angry with a small fish for being so small, when it has spent its life in a small pond? It has only developed as far as its environment has allowed. If the same fish had been transplanted into a larger pond, would it have developed into a larger fish? Perhaps. Many other determining factors effect this outcome such as quality of the elements, nutrients available, exposure, etc.

The same analogy can be used for people, to a certain degree. It is easy to become angry at a person for being “small minded” without factoring in the influences of their environment. If the same person had been given an opportunity to grow in a healthier environment, perhaps they could have developed and flourished into a more mindful individual. Perhaps not. Living in “The Information Age”, it is difficult to defend the uninformed and I’m not sure that’s what I’m even attempting to do, for I believe we are responsible for our personal growth and understanding of the world. But as woman who was born and raised in one of the poorest, smallest towns in the nation, I have witnessed many good people with very small minds. I have lived amongst them. I have loved them. I haven’t always understood them.

Captivity isn’t easy. Not everyone escapes. Not everyone knows they’re captive. Not every species in the small pond is meant to thrive in a larger pond. We all have a place in this world. I suppose that’s my point. If we can accept one another, we’d all be happy fish in all different sizes.

Of course, I’ll remain the bitchin’ mermaid I’ve always been.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captivity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3409856/

~ A. Saam