My mum had goldfish when I was a kid, and when she got ill, I was given the task of looking after the little blighters. Once she finally passed on to a better place, I looked after the fish for a couple of years till they all had moved on to that same better place.
Wasn't really too interested in keeping it going, until some one introduced me to tropicals, and I have never really looked back since.
I also enjoy the fact that I can just keep the fish, and just enjoy the solitude, I have other sports/hobbies, where there is never-ending meetings/training nites etc, these can be hard with the time constraints of work, family etc . The best part of that is most fish-keepers that I have met up with understand that, and there is no pressure you just get to enjoy the hobby (with exception fo those required water changes)..