General Tso's Chicken From The Sky

I was visiting my friends who run a Chinese carryout.  Working in the food industry means long hours and almost no days off.  Although the money is good, my friend, Angela, laments how they have traded their life for the money so they can push their kids through school.

"Before we had the restaurant, we used to take the kids camping and fishing.  It was such a wonderful time.  We don't get to do anything like that anymore.  Have you ever gone fishing?"

"No, I have not," I shook my head.  "I know many people like it, but I am not sure if I'd enjoy the activity.  I am not hungry.  And I do not feel the need to catch a fish."  I shrugged my shoulders with a smile.

"Oh, it is a lot of fun.  When you catch a fish, you feel it tug the line.  And then, you try to get it out of water.  The fish jumps up and down.  It is so much fun.  It feels great!"  Angela's face glowed with joy, as she relived the moment.

"Why do you think the fish jumps?" I asked.

"Because it is fresh!" she said, kinda matter of fact.

"Just because it is fresh?  Of course the fish is fresh.  I don't think the fish jumps just to show you it is fresh.  If the fish can think, what do you think the fish is thinking?  What do you think being lifted out of water means to the fish?"  I found my friend's answer intriguing.

"Huh?  I don't understand.  The fish is very fresh.  They taste good, too." Angela tried to convince me.

"I am glad you like it, but I do not eat fish.  I don't need a fish."

"Well, you don't have to keep it if you don't want to.  You can throw it back, but I think it is such a waste.  I kept all my fish."  Angela kinda frowned upon my answer.

"I understand a lot of people enjoy fishing.  That's fine.  I just thought that, even if you throw it back into the water, it might not be that much fun for the fish.  I have many other ways of entertaining myself without involving the fish."  I explained.

"But how do you fish without involving the fish?" She was puzzled.

"No, no, no.  That's not what I meant."  This is harder than I thought.

"Imagine: you are walking down Georgia Avenue.  All of a sudden, a piece of sizzling hot, delicious General Tso's Chicken dangles down from the sky.  It smells good and you are a bit hungry.  You take a big bite and then you find yourself caught at the mouth by the hook hidden inside the piece of chicken.  What would you do?"

"Why would there be General Tso's Chicken dangling from the sky?"

Hmm.  "Let's say a giant from above put it on a hook and dangle it down to earth for you to find." 

"But there are no giants in this world!"  Angela said innocently.

"Let's just pretend there were such a giant.  And he is doing this to catch humans for fun . . . "

"But there are no giants in this world!" she protested.

"I know there are no giants in the world.  I am just making it up.  But what if there were giants?  If they used baits to catch people just for fun, and you got caught.  How would you feel?"

"I don't know what you are talking about.  I have never seen chicken dangling from the sky.  And there are no giants in this world."  Angie looked all perplexed and confused.  "I don't understand why you are talking about such weird things."  She walked away as she shook her head.

Meanwhile, the cook came over with a funny smile on his face.  Chi is a dropout from 4th grade because he really hates studying.  He has been working in restaurants since he left school.

"She may not understand what you are trying to say, but I know what you are talking about," Chi said, with a smirk on his face.  "All I would say is this: I am NOT the fish."  The big, tall cook sashayed his way back into the kitchen with a laughter.