Jaws of Life - Tyler

With the waves of pollen now gone from every outdoors surface (including my shoes) and with the temperature steadily rising with each passing week, I can once again welcome warm weather and springtime back into my life. I’ve always thought how funny it was that as soon as the temperature drops into the 60’s in the fall, everybody throws on hoodies and jeans; and inversely how everyone throws on shorts and t-shirts and soon as it hits the 60’s in the spring. It is a fair assumption to say that all humans are walking contradictions of themselves.

Some of my favorite springtime memories are very generic: Easter egg hunts, playing outside, seeing my many caterpillars I could find roaming the sidewalk, etc. One memorable spring outing occurred 3 years ago when Zach, Daniel, and myself took a weekend trip down to Sunset Beach. Walking along the shore, we reached the inlet that separates Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach. The inlet area is great for several reasons. For one, it is one of the most secluded areas on the shore, as well as containing numerous tide pools to wade around. As we strolled out to a sandbar in the tide pool, we thought nothing about the aquatic life that surrounded us.

The sandbar was barely visible because of the water flowing over it with each wave. But there it was, a small rounded sandbar inviting us to stand on top of it. I stood there, gazing out over all of the water, feeling one with nature. That’s when we spotted it. Some giant fish that was on the other end of the sandbar where the sand dropped off was resting in the water. As I approached it with curiosity, a gentle waves caused the fish’s body to move ever so slightly. At that moment, I realized 2 things: it was a shark, and it could still be alive.

With those 2 things in mind, I got the heck out of dodge. Before Daniel and Zach could see my reaction, they could hear my body racing through the tide pool and back onto the shore. My fears were calmed but for a moment when Daniel reached into the water and pulled the dead, lifeless shark out of the water. I say I was calmed but for a moment because I knew that Daniel would use that shark to torment me…so I kept on running. As sure enough, Daniel kept on coming, cradling that dead shark and sporting a satisfied grin that I knew was intended for me. As we had our standoff on the shore concerning what to do next with the killer of the ocean, Daniel thankfully opted for a picture with the beast, leaving it on the beach instead of strapping it to the hood of our car to bring back to Campbell (which was his first option).

Springtime is a great season for new beginnings and expectations. It is that preparatory time before summer comes and the warm weather of springtime turns into the sweltering heat and humidity of summer. But how cool the breeze can still feel when you are running from your roommate and a dead shark.