|
The town is nearly empty, the Weekend was downright sleepy. Barely enough tourists to call this a holiday weekend. The local papers had various interviews and theories why the crowds are down: economy down, prices up, not a great summer for weather, shark attacks in Florida.
The most significant buzz on the beach was the electrifying story of a shark attack and death just over 100 miles South of us in Sandbridge VA. (the newest horror from Avon did not make the news tonight at 6:00 pm) It was astounding how empty the water was today, of both swimmers and surfers. The surfers had nothing of great worth to ride, the swimmers had a gorgeous day and warm water. I heard several groups of families around us hashing the story from Sandbridge, of the young grom who lost his life. The details of the heroic Dads efforts were also parsed at length.
Only one man, a statistician I found out later, made the statement that for all the hubbub about shark attacks and the precautions taken by parents to protect their kids, did anyone realize parents put their kids in far more jeopardy by merely putting them in a car, than by letting them go in the ocean. Yet where is the outcry about auto deaths which number in the tens of thousands each year?
The consensus was that auto deaths are an understandable if not acceptable part of modern living, while shark attack is a dark and primal area of deep seated fear. What do you think? Are you more frightened to get in a car to go surf in an area where sharks have been seen? You should be.
-Foon
|
