🎧 Episode Title:

Jaws in My Mind – How a Shark That Wasn’t There Still Shaped Me

📝 Episode Summary:

Fifty years ago, I saw Jaws for the first time. I was 13. I lived in a small town in western Pennsylvania—nowhere near an ocean. And I had no idea what I was walking into.

My youth pastor took me to see it (yes, just me and him), and even though the shark was mechanical and malfunctioned half the time, it scared the life out of me. And apparently… it stuck.

In this episode, I reflect on how that movie planted a fear that followed me for decades—even after I finally moved near the ocean. Even now, living 15 minutes from Rehoboth Beach, I catch myself scanning the water for fins like I’m on lifeguard duty.

But this isn’t just about Jaws. It’s about the power of a story— ...