The university has jumped on the well-being bandwagon. We have a well-being champion now, and there is a miniature budget to do something to boost the School’s well-being. About a year and a half ago, I was involved in realising our first initiative; the School had bought a picnic bench, and I was one of the people turning it from flatpack into functioning bench. But we seem to get this money every year, so we were wondering what to do with it next. And one of my colleagues campaigned for a fish tank. And when the project got approved, he asked me if I was enthusiastic about it. Not really, was my answer. He was shocked!
There were hurdles along the way! We wanted it in our coffee room, but that is on the second floor, and estates said that the floor wouldn't be strong enough hold the weight of the fish tank. I was surprised about this; robustly built humans exert more pressure on the floor, and that evidently goes well every day. Surely a fish tank that spreads its weight out over a larger area shouldn't be a problem? But the decision has been made. The fish tank had to be on the ground floor.
The first thing to appear, of course, was the tank. It had sand on the bottom and chunks of dead coral stacked up to provide some topography. And when that was all sorted, the fish appeared. I did enjoy checking for any new arrivals, put my heart wasn't really racing because of the little fish. But later, I heard that there was an anemone in there. That got my attention! The next time I walked past I had a look. And indeed, there was one hiding amongst the chunks of coral! That was fab.
Then an email was sent around, by the bloke who had campaigned for the fish tank. By coincidence, it was also the bloke who had won last year's cake competition. And he said that the first round of the competition was now over, but that week he would be making doughnuts to raise money for the fish tank. He wanted some soft-bodied corals in there, but there was no money anymore in the fish tank budget. And his doughnuts are famous! So that day I went to the coffee break, had a lovely doughnut, and gave generously.
Only two working days later I happened to walk past the fish tank again. And there were new creatures in there! That must have been the coral. I didn't expect them to arrive so soon. But now that thing has my attention. I didn't realise this type of invertebrate floats my boat a lot more than some admittedly very handsome little fish swimming around. But it's clear that that's the case! I'm happy now that we have this tank. I hope our little invertebrate friends will thrive in their new home. I think my well-being has been served well by this initiative, quite against expectation…
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| Handsome critter! Btw the human eye does not perceive the tank as this blue… |
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| Another critter |
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| Two fishes swim past a third handsome invertebrate |
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| The anemone gives acts de présènce |
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