Nowhere for a Fish to Live

When I was about 7 years old, my parents got me 2 gold fish, a gold fish bowl and some fish food.  I was set.  A few days later, the first fish died.  The other fish actually lived about 5 years, but it turns out that gold fish actually have an average life span measured in decades.

I most likely killed both fish with my ignorance.

Even more alarming in some ways is that my 1-inch long fishie stayed about that size all his (her?  I never knew for sure) life because he lived in a fish bowl.  Goldfish 101

Goldfish stay small because their environment is small . . . the fish bowl is nowhere for a fish to live.

I wonder what prison cells we build for ourselves, decorating them inside and out and calling them something else?

I wonder how our own growth is stunted by the small places of mind and body and heart into which we insert ourselves for safe keeping of one sort or another, only to find that we have accidentally made ourselves small?