Never Ending Teeth

It is my belief that there are few things more frightening and fascinating than the adaptable creature known as the shark. Throughout history this beast of an animal has morphed and adjusted to fit the changing oceans without losing status as one of the most lethal killing machines out there. What other several ton organism has an endless supply of dagger sharp teeth? How about having a protective layer over your eyes in the rare but dangerous occurrence of having an attacker aim at them? Let’s not forget about the brute strength of the muscles comprising of a sharks dorsal fin alone. It is probably in everyone’s best interest that I now mention I took a severe liking to Shark Week. Mind you this was not the first airing, this was via Netflix but within several says I had gained enough knowledge to live and breathe shark. Growing up, I was obsessed with The Little Mermaid but still had nightmares about the creatures that lurked beneath the waters. I then made the foolish decision to watch the movie Open Water one night at a friend’s house in Asheville several years ago. Queue the flashbacks of a dull nausea every time an underwater movie or deep ocean scene came on TV. Always having an active imagination, I decided that rather than let my thoughts of fanged companions get the best of my summer swims, I would face this demon head on. Enter Shark Week. In several hours, I had overcome my intense fear of these underwater giants and had formed a somewhat strange appreciation and admiration for sharks. It was as if through understanding the way they functioned, they somehow seemed a LITTLE less terrifying. While I do intend on swimming some laps this summer and perhaps venturing to the beach, you will not find me darting around in reefs littered with caution signs. Have a nice swim everyone.

Friend Request Accepted

While on a trip to Atlanta this past weekend, a good friend made a silly but somewhat accurate statement: If it’s not on Facebook, it didn’t happen. Sure, this was said in jest in regards to the whole Facebook phenomenon where casual stalking turns into an everyday occurrence but where else can you find out about engagements, children, new jobs or even just random and probably useless facts about people you were once close to? That’s right, for those of you inclined to scroll through the various faces of your former stages of life, enter the Facebook postings. Just the other day I learned that a childhood pal had passed the BAR and that another acquaintance is allergic to peanuts and had to be rushed to the E.R. I could have picked up the phone or composed an email, but finding out these day to day activities of those you hold close – or as far away as possible- from your heart works best online. In fact, as a test of this theory- I am going to start a little experiment. If you are friends with me on various online sites and start seeing outrageous posts of swimming with sharks (my extreme terror regarding this subject will be discussed later) or a sudden urge to acquire body art, think twice. We will see just how many people believe that if it is on Facebook, it DID happen. Happy stalking!