Do We Stop Growing?

Years ago we adopted a 5 inch plecostomus. Its owner, complaining the fish was ripping up his tankscape, wanted peace and tranquility restored. Sure we'll adopt it. After all we just had a 20 gallon tank with a handful of playful guppies; plenty of room.

So Pleco came home. And she has never torn up the tank, but she has grown. At first it was slowly; hardly noticeable. Then two years ago, while eating breakfast I looked over at the tank and she was, nose to tail, 11 inches, spanning the width of tank. She was having trouble turning about. She had outgrown her environment. She needed a new space.

And I wonder, like our beloved fish, do we require bigger tanks? Of course our children do. By eighteen years of age, they are out of the house, off to college, out into the workforce. But what about adults? Do we continue to grow?

Unlike Pleco at this point in my life, I'm seriously putting the brakes on any physical growth, but I like to think that I learn new things everyday. Where my endless learning limits run wild and unchecked within a few pounds of gray matter safely contained and protected under my many gray hairs.

And Pleco... she got a hand me down 30 gallon tank a few years back. And yesterday, once again, I noticed, nose to end of tail, she spans her water world.

Do you fill yours?