I remember being very little the first time I watched JAWS. Probably too little to be doing it, but I remember it very clearly. Hands over my eyes, fingers spread JUST enough so I could see what was happening... I was terrified, and I loved every minute of it. Who knows if this is what first piqued my interest in ocean life? One thing is for certain, it definitely did nothing to deter it.
I distinctly remember having so many books on all types of marine animals - whales, dolphins, sea turtles, you name it - I kept them all on the bottom right shelf of the built ins that occupied my room... Of all the creatures, the most intriguing to me always was and always will be sharks. Really though - can you name a single person who would ever be uninterested in a shark story? They are prehistoric, man!
As a landlocked individual, I contribute to the upkeep of our world's waters from afar through the likes of Oceana. I am very much not kidding. I am a proud member (a "wave maker," if you will) of this organization. I am "one of those" who often send letters to the government, sometimes as frequently as once a week, when I feel action is warranted. Sure, there are certain hot button issues that are more important to me than others; however, I do feel a human responsibility to maintain the safety of the ocean and its wildlife. If we don't, who will? I feel this way about animals and wildlife in any capacity, but I digress...
My friends are all aware of my love of the ocean - including my organized activities in support of it. Whenever Oceana confirms a win of one of our seemingly never-ending "battles" for ocean life, I will send an email around to celebrate the victory. It has become a bit of a joke in a way, but for me the fight is real and they respect my passions all the same.
FACT - known passions result in harmless harassment when they are not shared by more than one individual. Mine are all over the place, but my friends do know me so well... One year for my birthday and Christmas, I received two shark-related items - both equally as awesome as the other. One was a Shark Attack coffee mug.
The shark is literally in the mug - as you drink the coffee, the shark becomes more exposed. It is pretty amazing.
The other was what you see below - an adult onesie, complete with feet in the shape of an open-mouthed shark, ready to bite. Apparently this was just "screaming Ali Gayler," according to my friend. I would be lying if I said she was wrong...
#ThrowBackThursday
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