It’s the middle of the Summer and I’m in the ocean a lot. Each Summer arrives accompanied by memories from the movie Jaws. I can remember waiting in a long line at the theater to see the movie only to have the story scare the bejeezus out me when it come to sharks. Thanks Spielberg.
I can’t surf without being in the ocean. But I can avoid watching videos and programs featuring sharks. I’ve never seen a shark in the wild. And I comfort myself with the idea that sharks, whenever possible, will prefer prey much smaller than themselves. Attacking something large and unknown, like a surfer, ups the shark’s chance of injury. If a creature is injured its chances of survival are low in the wild. That’s the story I tell myself at least.
Still, sometimes even an atheist makes the sign of the cross before paddling out.