My name is Harper Johnson, I am 17 years old and I am currently fighting a fear of whales. This is called cetaphobia. Many people say that cetaphobia is an irrational fear, but it is very rational. Whales are the largest animals on Earth, and they can swim, both characteristics that I do not share. I think the size is the scariest part. Blue whales (the worst kind) are usually around 100 feet long and weigh about 200 tons (which is roughly the same as 2,500 Harpers). To put that in perspective, that means they are really, really big.
On land, I could probably assert my dominance over whales, but in the water, whales are the kings of the world. Once, I was watching Animal Planet, and a whale purposely hit a diver with his tail. We knew it was intentional because the narrator explained that the horizontal movement was out of the whale’s normal vertical tail movement. The diver was knocked unconscious and had to be rescued by his friends. This act of aggression was just a glimpse of the power whales possess. It terrifies me to think that animals that could eat a school bus without blinking could be lurking in the ocean.
Many people believe that whales don’t frequently make appearances in most people’s everyday life. The people that believe this are correct. I usually do not see whales, but every now and then, Pacific Life rudely interrupts my tranquility and positive state of mind. Sometimes, “friends” of mine entertain themselves by showing me a cool video on their phone which turns out to be an uncool video of whales. I have attempted to conquer my fear by forcing myself to watch clips of whales in their natural habitat, but so far, I have not made much progress. At this point in time, I empower myself by wearing Vineyard Vines shirts. In a way, I believe that by bearing the friendly version of the intimidating whale on my chest, I am taking a small step toward victory.
– By Harper Johnson
