Monday, May 10, 2010

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.

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