i can't help but wondering

12:30 Maryland time and wide awake-- perfect. 

The fish was caught. Since we were fishing with 8 year old kids, we were putting the fish back into the water. The fish swallowed the hook. But the fisherman couldn't get the hook out, we cut the string and let the fish go, hook and all. I keep thinking about the fish, swimming in the C&O Canal, it's home, with a hook jabbed into it's throat. The fish was free. It was better than when it was connected to the line when it couldn't swim away. But what happened after it's new freedom? No matter if it decided to stay in the canal or venture out into the Potomac River, it would have the hook in it. Everywhere the fish goes from now on, the hook will remain.  The fisherman goes about life, putting on new hooks trying to catch other fish. I wonder if the fish just wishes the fisherman caught it forever. It now has to swim around forever with the scar reminding it of the interaction with the fisherman, it would have been better to just be caught. Right?