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May 18, 2005
Tangled
Last week, Lex and I took a long walk in Prospect Park. It had been a while since I had spent time off the main roads. We squiggled around through the dirt trails and stopped for a spell at the lake. There we met a couple and their young daughter, busy feeding Wonder Bread to a grumpy swan, and a young girl who looked to be about twelve, hunched intensely at the shore, fiddling with a plastic container.
It turned out that she had, using a makeshift fishing pole (a stick, someone's used fishing line, and a homemade hook), a rather large fish. She had placed the flopping specimen in a two inch high by six-inch long plastic food container with plans to take it home and keep it as a pet.
Can you watch my fish? she asked me, in less of a question than a demand. Before I replied, she was off and down the shore, seeking out a friend for her new pet. I looked down at the container. The helpless fish lay on its side, unable to float upright, gasping beneath the water and pathetically flopping from side to side. It made my heart hurt.
Just then, a large and incredibly peeved goose flapped past us. Leaping and flapping his wings, I at first perceived his actions as territorial. Within moments, however, we could see that he was limping. His foot had become tangled in fishing line, which was now cutting painfully into his flesh.
I looked at the fish and then the goose. Both looked so helpless, mirroring how Lex and I both felt. We urged the girl to return her fish to the water.
He needs to float upright, you see, explained Lex. It's the only way that he can get enough air into his gills. The girl nodded and picked up her container, giving a look of determined indifference-- a nod, perhaps, to get us off her back.
Meanwhile, the goose flapped and squawked. Other geese nipped at his tail feathers and feet. He limped and limped. We considered calling 311 or finding a park ranger (do they have park rangers in Prospect Park?) to help remove the line, knowing all too well that an attempt to untangle the goose ourselves would result in something nasty. I thought that my heart might break.
I am not sure why these two situations felt so painful. In my head, I tried to blame the person or people who had carelessly left fishing line behind. Ultimately, the tears welling up inside of me were the simple result of being privy to something suffering. The gasp, the limp, the look in both creatures' eyes.
It was a solemn reminder that the world is just not fair and that, even those of us with the best intentions can fail to aid those in need. I really hope that little girl returned her newfound pet to the water. Something inside me, however, suspects that she did not.
Posted by callalillie at May 18, 2005 8:01 AM | City Life
, Introspect
This story made me very sad.
I feel so sad, mad and helpless when I have encounters such as yours.
During a walk on the pier at Seal Beach last weekend, we saw a small shark laying on the wooden platform struggling for air. He had been caught and the fisherman were standing around him laughing and smiling at this helpless creature. The world does close it's eyes at the helplessness of the defenseless.
It's painful.
Posted by: Petrie at May 18, 2005 10:25 AM
I love the sensitivity of this post. Written perfectly, and, boy, can I relate.
Posted by: beth at May 18, 2005 11:12 AM
It breaks my heart too.
Living in the country I've had to accept that "roadkill" just happens, it's no one's fault, but it still makes me so sad. Everyone thinks I'm crazy for keeping my cats inside (saying it's just as cruel to letting them get hit by a car...I think not!) and for keeping an extra horse lead in my trunk. I guess I just like to think I'm prepared, just in case...
Thought I'd pass along a link, you know, to be prepared:
http://www.nyswrc.org/counties.htm
Posted by: mollysusie at May 18, 2005 12:36 PM
GAH. I just dealt with the same thing this week, although mine had a happier ending. People just SUCK sometimes.
Posted by: breana at May 18, 2005 3:43 PM
Quit gazing at your navels. Walk back down to the park with a nail sissors and cut the line off. It will take 2 people, one to hold the goose.
Next time kick the container into the water and blame the goose. Yeah, the end justifies the means.
Posted by: peter at May 18, 2005 3:55 PM
Another suggestion for the goose.... animal rescue at the ASPCA or the park manager.
Posted by: Petrie at May 18, 2005 5:06 PM
Posted by: discostu at May 18, 2005 5:16 PM
Geese bite. But agree with knocking the container over. I guess we really hoped that the girl might understand why she needed to put it back in the water prior to us taking an action.
Posted by: corie at May 19, 2005 3:13 PM
