I’m petrified of sharks.
I love the beach more than any place in the world, but the entire time I’m frolicking around the surf, images of sharks are never far from my mind.
I’m a victim of my childhood–having been old enough (did my parents really LET me see JAWS?) to see JAWS but not old enough to sort through the fear, I suppose.
My father was a teacher at the school down the street and on weekends, he’d jog around the school halls while my sister and brothers and I swam in the pool…the dark pool, illuminated only by underwater lights. Above the pool some jack-ass highschoolers hung a giant paper mache’ JAWS replica. At some point, older kids (I was on the swimteam) told us that there were sharks under the pool and could be let out through the grates.
Um, yeah, I get chills thinking of it now. Swimming around, in murky darkness, with the niggling thought that just maybe there were sharks waiting for a nice meal.
I used to swim faster in the deep water than the shallow, perhaps this contributed to my being a good swimmer….the phobia wasn’t all bad, I guess.
 Anyway, this insane rambling is the precursor to sharing a site with you that I’m now very obsessed with as we plan our vacation to Kiawah, Island…
https://swimatyourownrisk.blogspot.com/
Check it out, all you fellow scarred from early exposure to JAWS crazies…
After I saw Jaws 1, I couldn’t go near the beach. And I live in a tropical island! It took me a few years to start enjoying the warm waters of the sea.
I had a similar thing, went swimming in a pool with a killer whale picture on the bottom. Freaked me out for life.
I can’t go on your link in case there is something horrible there!
The weird thing is, the sea/any expanse of water freaks me out, yet I can watch sharks on TV under the water. Weird.
:o)
I used to see small tiger sharks all the time when I went scuba diving. Never longer than 5′, but that’s still big enough to get your blood flowing. They never bothered me below, but I would occasionally get creeped out swimming on the surface. A friend of mine was bumped by a shark. On rare occasion, they’ll mistake a diver or surfer for a turtle and come up for a nibble. Very rare though.
Have a great time!
I don’t have the fear of sharks. I do remember the being told about the sharks living under the pool. Thanks for the memory.
Great. Now I’m scared of sharks AND snakes.
Oh, Kathie — my dad took me to see Jaws. I was 10. That entire summer, I was terrified. I can’t believe I saw that movie when I was only 10. I wouldn’t even be able to sit through it now!!
Oh bloody hell Kathie! I went over and had a look at the link.
UK Mako made me jump and then down a little there is a lobster. ARGHHHHHHHHH! I ran the hell out of there!
:o)
Oh no! Where did you get to again? Hope everything is okay.
I get so confused. When I saw ‘Dana C’ – I thought I had already posted! But then I don’t remember ever being told about sharks in the bottom of the pool!
Kathie, if you see this, check out Robert Gregory Browne’s Blog. You won something!