The summer after my freshman year at college, that all that changed. It was June, hot and sticky. We played bingo, ate funnel cake, browsed the White Elephant tent, and soaked up the carnival atmosphere. On a whim, I decided to try and win a goldfish. The goldfish game is a staple of carnivals.
Fish bowls cover the table.
Sometimes there are fish swimming in the bowls, getting bonked in the head by lucky winner ping-pong balls, even as a young child I viewed as inherently cruel, almost on par with the kids who would win the fish and then swallow them whole. Sometimes, the water is dyed blue, red, or yellow, and the bowls are empty. Other times, there is a great big bowl in the center of all the tiny bowls. Regardless, the object of the game is the same. Get the ball into the bowl.