Back in the middle of the last century, guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were the gold standard for aquarium fish. Any child imbued with a genuine fascination in fish, no matter how poor or how limited the availability of her resources, could acquire guppies and teach herself how to keep them. That’s what I did. Long walks home to save bus fares to buy pregnant females in the hopes of having millions of fish was considered worthy sacrifice. Information was scarce, and nature is a ruthless teacher.
So I've been there and have been doing that since I found the pet department in the local Newberry's — the very day they let me out of the house to go to first grade. I owe a lot to the guppy. It has been there, no matter where or when, from the childhood bedroom to the first apartment and every home, to the workplace.
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