The Rockfish... what is a Rockfish?

Image by CarbonNYC via Flickr

"Rockfish" is actually a general term for fish that live amongst the rocks (I told you this wasn't rocket science). There are many types of fish that live amongst rocks--artistfish, architectfish, teacherfish, theologianfish, businessfish, doctorfish, codefish, et al--but they can all, basically, be split into two types of rockfish: those that dwell in more open water and those that dwell on the bottom. As you might imagine, the open-water fish have a tendency to be the more social fish, while the deeper fish keep their nose to the grindstone, much less light, meticulously accomplishing their daily tasks... kinda like the difference between account directors and programmers, ya know?

Although this difference exists between them, all Rockfish are known for being very adaptable (heck, so many of them have moved from areas of saltwater to those of fresh... or from, like, Arizona to Arkansas), long-living, streamlined, strong, tough, wily, and... notoriously big-mouthed (eh hem).

Rockfish live amongst the rocks (see note about rocket science from earlier), which can be, but not often, a reef of brilliant coral. The Rockfish that I am most familiar with live on this great living, breathing rock that's wildly colorful. They feed from it, explore it, but most of all they realize that there is this place on the rock where the open-water fish and the deep-water fish come together... and in that space, often over coffee, an evolution of ideas occurs that invites a better reality to be born. It is a place where innovation meets integration, where they often kid about raising Atlantis. Then, the deep-water fish swim away with a shimmering tails pondering how to actually do it--not because they want their underwater rock to become a glistening island destination for tourists, but because it'd be really f&*king cool to figure it out.

That's a Rockfish. Their commonality, though diverse, is in their desire to use what they know to make this big rock we live on a better place.