Essay 2 Final Draft

Alan Rodriguez

Janel Spencer

WRT 101S

17 October 2019

Ocean Man

            When I was little I was just like any other kid—I had reasonable fears such as monsters, spiders, etc. These things were either not real or not very harmful, so I had nothing to worry about. Since I was from Arizona, I only imagined the ocean was a place where fish lived, and people went swimming occasionally. Little did I know the treacherous and terrifying things that lie within it. At the age of about five, I went to my grandmother’s house to meet up with my cousins and hang out. We would all go to the one room that had a TV that wasn’t in the living room. As The night got darker the kids show would stop playing so I left the room. I decided to go back a little later because some of my older cousins were still in there and I wanted to hang with them. Unbeknownst to me, they were watching one of the most notorious horror films about the ocean, Jaws. It only took about ten minutes for me to see this big creature that lives in the ocean attack and kill someone on screen. I immediately left the room without saying a word. I went to the living room trembling like I was outside in a snowstorm. My aunt had asked me, “What movie are you guys watching?” I replied with an eerie tone, “Jaws.” She told me that she is terrified of sharks and won’t go in the ocean because of that movie. I had no idea that this monster was real until that moment. This small but vivid memory led me not to only fear the ocean and sharks, but to want to study and learn more about them.

When I started first grade I had noticed this cool looking 3D learning book about sharks, and I knew I had read it every day in order to know my foe.  This book sparked my interests in sharks, but It did not change my overall perception of them. I was always convinced that sharks were man eating beasts and only wanted to cause harm to other living things. It turned out that sharks were unique creatures and were more afraid of humans than we are of them. I would continue to try to find books about the ocean so that I could try to find more facts that would make me more knowledgeable or more at ease. Sadly—nothing ever worked— I still believed that sharks feed on humans whenever they could get the chance. During this time my family decided that we would take a vacation trip to Rock Point. I was not too worried because I knew that I didn’t have to go into the ocean if I didn’t want to. Then one day my family decides that we should take a ride on the “banana boat.” My stomach immediately dropped I  wanted nothing to do with going that far deep into the ocean. My parents kept on pushing me to try this out, even though they knew how terrified I was of the ocean. I ended up having to go on this terrifying experience, because they couldn’t leave me alone on the beach. I remember getting the trembling feeling again, like when I first saw Jaws. We ended up riding the banana boat perfectly fine, but I held on to my handle with dear life. My dad was laughing at how relieved I was to be back on the shore.

 As I grew up, I assumed that my fear of the ocean would go away as most fears do, but for some reason or another this would not shake off. Growing up made me have an affinity towards the ocean. I wanted to learn the history of ocean and what was in it before humans. I would also spend the zenith of my summer vacations watching Shark Week rather than playing outside. I could not stop myself from learning about the ocean, ocean and the more I learned the more I was afraid. When I would return to school many of my friends found it odd that I was so scared of the ocean because we live in Arizona. There is no ocean near me for many miles. I always told my peers that I didn’t know what this fear came from all I knew was that I would get anxious whenever I was around it.

About eleven years later from when I first saw Jaws nothing had changed my my view of the ocean. My dad is a highway patrol officer down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico so he arranged for the rest of my family to meet up with him for a vacation. I was so excited to go this because this is a nice place in Mexico to relax from every day struggles and be at ease. After we checked in an at the hotel my brother Michael and I changed into our swimming shorts, grabbed some drinks, and went straight to the beach. Michael and I were already having the vacation that we wanted. As we sat on the sand talking and drinking, Michael decided that he wants to go swimming. I obviously didn’t want any part of that, but my brother didn’t take no for answer. “Come on bro, the water isn’t even that bad”, he said. I replied, “ Hell no, I’m good right here where I can still see my feet.” We continued to jaw back at each other until it started to turn into a real argument. It got to a point where he had enough and decided to use physical force to get me into the water. Although Michael maybe short in stature he is a strong individual, well at least compared to my scrawny body. He always had this sort of napoleon complex personality to him that brought out his brutal strength and an intense look in his dark brown eyes. So, as he grabbed me by the shoulders and legs and cradled me into the water, I could not fight back anymore I was already in. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I could not feel the ground I was petrified. As soon as my brother let go I bolted straight back to shore. I could feel my body trembling with every paddle I took and my breath getting shorter and shorter. I kept looking down into the water to make sure nothing was near me. Once I finally got back I sat on the sand not saying a word to Michael. I realized right there this phobia was going to follow me for the rest of my life.

These life experiences made a part of the person that I am today. I learned from watching, reading, and learning about the ocean that it is a beautiful place that needs lots of care and protection. I know that sharks are a scary species, but they are also a vital part of the functions of the ocean. I learned that the ocean is a whole new domain and humans should not cause harm or try to take over what is not theirs. I now know that fears are natural, but it does not mean that we should wish wish the worst upon these fears.