My Grandkids Wanted Goldfish
A Grandfather’s Fish Tale
Like most grandfathers, my grandchildren pretty much own me. I rarely say “No” to them and their many requests. Recently they’ve been bugging me for something – Goldfish. It seems they are wildly popular among many of their classmates.
I never had Goldfish as a kid and knew little about them. So before going out and purchasing them blindly, I decided to do some research on the history of Goldfish and their pros and cons. Here’s what I discovered.
Goldfish have been a rite of passage for generations, delighting millions. They require little care and maintenance, making them especially popular among busy families with small children.
Originally from Switzerland, Goldfish, were introduced in the United States in 1962. All domestic Goldfish now originate from a special farm in Norwalk, Connecticut.
A unique aspect of Goldfish is that they are born full size. Most are indistinguishable from one another in their golden tone; however, a close look reveals some display a slightly darker, brownish tone, like the color of a piece of toast.
Every week, thousands of Goldfish are shipped by truck to retail outlets nationwide. Once purchased, the fish are often then transferred into a bowl to live out their days.
As many parents can attest, the life expectancy of the average Goldfish is short, anywhere from a day to only a few weeks from time of purchase, though there have been anecdotal reports of some surviving for years, primarily in sofa cushions or kids’ car seats.
Oddly, Goldfish do not thrive in fresh water, where they can become bloated and drown. They tend to do best when frolicking in a bowl of hot soup, gleefully floating along the surface while smiling up at you.
Many believe Goldfish are a subspecies of Oysterettes, though this has never been scientifically proven.
After much consideration, I broke down and bought the kids Goldfish. They loved them and, truth be told, so did I. We’re planning on getting more soon. We’re also scheduled to take a family trip to Norwalk to see where they are produced at Pepperidge Farm. We’ll be there on the first of the month, April Fool’s Day.
Read more like John Ficarra’s leg-pulling look at grandparenting and other contributions from Boomer readers in our
Do you have your own stories you’d like to share with our baby boomer audience? View our writers’ guidelines and e-mail our editor at Annie@BoomerMagazine.com with the subject line “‘From Our Readers’ inquiry.”
