10/30:

Dear journal,
Today I went to go check out some fish to buy for my experiment. I walked into Petsmart and
it felt like a whole new world. There were dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and guinea pigs.
Though I was there for a fish, I found myself drawn to a cat named Buddha, who was 5 years
old and only ten dollars. As soon as I stopped to say hi we made a connection. Our eyes
connected and for the first time I understood the human/animal connection. She seemed to
have understood me and when she meowed I knew she bonded with me too. Sadly, my
parents and I are allergic to cats, so away I went from Buddha and moved onto the little
fishes. I asked a very nice lady on what fish she thought would be best and she pointed me to
a male guppy and a comet goldfish. Both were active and gave me what I was looking for.
Before I left, I looked at tanks, rocks, and coral to see what I should make. Both of the fish like
plants, so I’d make some sort of plant looking thing. Then I left and went home to tell my
parents the news. Turns out, they’re not as excited as I am about a new pet. Everyone’s face
was straight and their faces blank. I thought that at least my brother would be excited, but
nobody was. Maybe I just made up their excitement to validate the point in getting a fish. But
the truth is, they think it’s too much work and kind of ridiculous, but they’ll see that this fish will
be good for us.

Sincerely,
Corinthia

I classify myself as an introverted person that doesn’t like to share personal details
with people unless they are my friends because of my fear of being hurt by people I
love. These fish have helped me break out of my shell more and open up about what
I’m feeling. I used to be a really outgoing child, but after my grandfather died I shut
down inside because I didn’t want to feel that pain ever again, so I became shy to hide
from the pain of people leaving me. Animals can do that to a person as stated by
“Psychosocial,” Animals help build trust in others and helps us be more outgoing by
connecting with people. ​My whole family has an anxiety disorder, and based on a study in
the 1980s, owning a fish lowers anxiety levels by twelve percent (What are). “Children may
act differently whether at home, around friends, at school, or online(Psychology).” With these
fish, I’m allowed to be fully who I am. I don’t have to be a big sister, a mom, a friend, a
girlfriend, a supporter, a leader, a daughter, or anything else. I can just be Corinthia.