LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, GO TRI!!!!

by the time i landed back in La La Land from Denver, i had about 8 missed calls and 1 text. the flight was only 3 hours. what could these people want? what set off the alarm was that 3 of them were from my mom, and 3 of them from my grandma. i went into instant panic mode...

OH NO. PAPA.

my grandpa is 89 now. in his lifetime he has survived polio as a child and later a stroke and prostate cancer. they took his driver's license away from him at least 15 years ago after he plowed into a row of parked cars near his home. this was the saddest day. being Latino and full of machismo, it was humiliating to him to have my grandma chauffeur him around town. he is constantly plagued with gout and arthritis, but this doesn't stop him from taking classes at community college and making his weekly trek on the bus to Downtown LA to light candles at Iglesia Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles, the oldest Catholic church in LA. still though, i panic whenever my grandma calls. i couldn't dial my voicemail fast enough.

grandma vm #1: "honey i just saw something on the news about a shark attack. are you swimming in that ocean?? will you call me as soon as you get this?"

mom voicemail #1: "are you still in Denver? you're not in San Diego are you? can you call me as soon as you get this??

my buddy Edmund: "hey. you heard about this shark attack? Angela (his wife) called me from work and told me about it. you're not in San Diego are you? anyhow, it sounds like it was a guy triathlete swimming in a group. guess this is gonna thin out the pack for your race season and for surfing this summer too. call me."

then the text message came from fellow LA Tri Club member, "Riptide" Ray...

"shark attacked and killed triathlete this a.m. in Solana Beach. Fletcher's Cove"

my reply: "yep. it's the ocean, and sharks live in the ocean."

don't get me wrong. i am very saddened that we have lost one of ours, a triathlete, retired veterinarian, Dr. David Martin. my thoughts go out to his family members and fellow tri club members. loss of life is sad no matter what, but i'll be damned if i'm gonna buy into yet another shark frenzy.

THERE'S ALSO BEARS IN THE FOREST

THERE'S SNAKES IN THE DESERT

LIONS IN THE JUNGLE

but you know what? you're more likely to die in a car accident than be killed by anyone of these awesome creatures.

i have a 2 mile ocean swim on the schedule for sunday. mind you, i live 3 counties away from where this unfortunate incident occurred, so against my grandma's protests, i'll be in the water by 7am.

LIVE YOUR LIFE AS IF EVERY DAY IS YOUR LAST.
THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO.