Big fish syndrome: like in any small town, you see it a lot in 100 Mile House.

There are quite a few of them out there who have contracted it; just because they own a business or two, just because they belong to a society or sponsor an event, they think they are the kings of the castle — as small as the kingdom may be.

But being a big fish in a small pond doesn’t necessarily mean anything, something that people don’t seem to realize.

Because, in the grand scheme of things,

we are all just very small minnows in an endless ocean.

Take a big fish from 100 Mile House and

throw him in Vancouver and he is dwarfed by salmon, relatively speaking. Then, in turn, take the salmon and bring her to a bigger centre, like New York, and she is looked upon as food for larger prey.

Even the president of the United States means nothing to the universe; there is always a bigger grouper capable of swallowing he who thinks himself akin to a god.

Not to say that each person does not matter for his or her inherent self, because everyone does.

No, the point for people to remind themselves that they are not the centres of the universe is so they can choose to make their own lives count as much as possible and make sure they try to make the best impression possible on the planet, whether it be through kindness, environmental awareness or even just having more empathy for fellow Earth inhabitants.

How can people think themselves above others when we will all end up on the same level in the ground? Life is short; everyone should realize this and act accordingly.

And, not only is life short, but it’s tough enough without people working against each other, spreading misery.

Humans are all running a race, one which there is no winner and no one lives through.

There is no great celestial reward for the person who had the most money or influence in the district, so perhaps everyone can take a minute today to review their actions and figure out how they might be able to contribute a little more, in a positive way, rather than just take credit for everything.

So cheer up a bit and leave a positive mark on the planet everyone shares.