Fear of Sharks

Six people are killed by sharks annually but in that same time twenty-six million sharks are killed by people.

In previous drafts of my novel, a shark enters the waters of the final chapter. The shark indicates that the main character has overcome a major obstacle in her life-- a portent of positive change.


However, the final draft of the novel has a different ending, for various reasons of which I can't disclose just yet. So no shark. The new ending works well, but I'm partial to the shark. Perhaps I’ll allow alternate endings.

I'm learning to scuba dive, so sharks are on my mind.

Recent lessons in scuba diving have included:

Losing one's mask underwater--everything is suddenly blurry and your nose is exposed to the water, but you're still breathing from the regulator (mouth piece).

Losing air -- the instructor turning the tank valve to the point of no pressure. You immediately signal you’re out of air. A diver equated the sudden loss of air to sucking on a McDonald's milkshake through a Tim Horton's plastic stir stick.
My favorite test, the one that scared me the most, was a failed regulator--air is forced out of your regulator at 3000 pounds per square inch. (The garden hose/fire hose pressure comparison). You have to tilt your head; otherwise the pressure will blast the mask off your face. And with the regulator away from your mouth, you sip the air bubbles. Naturally, it feels like you’re going to gulp water and choke and drown. You need to learn this because you could be a 100 feet down--it's not like you'll hold your breath and swim to the surface in time. After a few tries in a shallow pool, you've got the technique, but you really understand the fear of drowning. And you really understand how it's vitally important that you stay calm. Vitally important.

I think scuba diving is preparing me to stay calm for when the regulator, or the mask, or the valve changes for the novel. Breathe deeply because there might be rejection (or acceptance) of the novel. I might need to find a publisher myself. I might need to self-publish. The fear won’t be from the shark, it will be in me, in how I manage this sudden new reality. Sip the bubbles and surface slowly.

(Shark photos)