A Day at the Aquarium

If you've seen one aquarium, you've seen them all. Maybe. But it's always interesting to go watch fish swimming around. (I'd say it's peaceful except on my last two aquarium visits I have encountered far too many noisy children to say it was peaceful.) But it's pleasant to watch the fish and imagine what it would be like without all the noise. Even the sharks are cool when there's a layer of glass between you and them.

But on this visit, I looked a bit closer than I usually do. Not necessarily because I was tuned in to fish that day, but because of something I read in a Bible study guide by Adam Hamilton about being in awe of the seemingly infinite variety of fish. Yes, the variety was there. And while some looked quite utilitarian (I think those must be the ones we eat), others were objects of exquisite beauty with intricate designs and stunning colors. Just look at some of the pictures we took.

Different shapes, different sizes, different colors - and they can all swim - (well maybe not the anemones)! Truly awe-inspiring. And there are people who want me to believe that this magnificent variety of fish all came into being by accident as the result of a cosmic explosion. I don't have a great deal of experience with explosions. I've had some food that exploded in the microwave. I can assure you, it was not a thing of beauty. I've heard about explosions in chemistry labs, and while they seem to be a source of some amusement, they are not beautiful. I've seen media coverage of explosions. Recently there was the fertilizer plant that exploded in West, Texas, and the terrorist bomb that exploded at the Boston Marathon. Devastation and disaster - nothing of beauty. I suppose fireworks are a type of explosion, but they are beautiful for a few seconds and then nothing remains but a bit of smoke.

I've heard that life evolved from the sea. I never realized until I saw this whale skeleton that the bones in their flippers are much the same as the bones in a human hand.

But before I get sidetracked, let me say that in my experience, things of beauty are created by artists and designers. People take a great deal of pride and delight in the things they design and create. I know I do - even more so when someone else recognizes the effort I put into it. Most of the artistic and creative people I know are rarely satisfied with creating one thing. They go back and change it, improve on it, or toss it and create something different - sometimes better and sometimes just different. And sometimes they just keep creating more. (I met a woman on Saturday who is working on her 40th needlepoint project. - I stopped after four.) And so life evolves  - but not without a Design and a Designer. I just can't believe that beauty is an accident.