Fish Bowl

The Fish Bowl is not about one fish a bowl, it is about a school of fishes in a bowl.

When Jessica and I arrived in Iwakuni, we were told that we lived in a Fish Bowl--a small town where everyone knows each others business.  I believed those people.

Conceptually, I understood the meaning and thought I had experienced the Fish Bowl.  Because of my billet as the legal assistance attorney, I know half of the gossip on the base and from the horse's mouth.  Because I am in the legal office I know most of the crimes on the base.  Because of both those things, I cannot go anywhere on base without seeing someone that has either walked through my door or been associated with something on the base.

Case in point: today I had lunch with Jessica at Crossroads.  Crossroads is the fast-food food court at the non-military business center of the base.  I arrived around the meet time, and hunted down a booth.  During my booth hunting, I saw a Marine that had asked me questions at a different social gathering.  I again told him to come in to my office--standard line for most things.  I grabbed a booth and while I waited for Jessica I saw several familiar faces, and one that came to ask questions about his/her case.

I want clients and potential clients to feel like they can approach me at any time.  Most won't because they think everyone will know their business--not because of me, but because human paranoia makes us think our private lives are public knowledge.

Another aspect that has made me know that Iwakuni is a Fish Bowl is the criminal case I was working on.  Several witnesses lived in the same building as the accused and the investigator.  Other witnesses lived in the same building as me.  Just like I live in the same building as some of my legal assistance clients.

And if they don't know me, they know Jessica.

The Fish Bowl is not about seeing through it or being on display.  The Fish Bowl is about being in close quarters with everyone else.