Tommy's Shark Tale...His Version...

For the past several years I have been in the process of writing the stories of our life. Someday, I hope to turn these stories into a book for family and friends. I also write about our lives because if I die first, Tommy will never get these stories right!  We have two different versions on most things that have occurred. Mine is usually right:)

However, when I wrote the story about Tommy getting his first big shark, I got some of it wrong. Truthfully, I missed the whole story about how they landed the shark. I totally misunderstood until I saw the pictures Tommy took with his disposable camera.

When I looked at the photos I asked Tommy, "What is the shark doing on the sand. Why are you so wet and where is the boat???"  Somewhere while Tommy and Lisle were telling the story, I misunderstood everything concerning how they actually landed the shark. I remember thinking as I wrote the story the first time, "Wow it is a miracle they didn't turn the boat over when they pulled the shark into the boat."  Then I got a visual of a live shark in the boat with Tommy and Lisle and shook my head at the things men do and call it fun.


                                           

Here is Tommy's version of how he got his first shark.  "They were fishing in about five feet of water when they caught the shark. He put up quite a fight. The shark took the bait and went under the boat trying to turn the boat over. (They were in a 14 ft. john boat) 

The shark turned around and started going out into the ocean. However, because there were several big boats around; the boats made waves that took the john boat and the shark back in closer to the beach.  The shark was trying to eat the boat when Lisle cut his gills to bleed him out. This slowed the shark down but still he fought as long as he could.  Finally when the boat was in about two feet of water both Lisle and Tommy jumped out of the boat into the ocean...with the shark. The shark was loosing his life's blood and had slowed down on the fighting. That is when they drug him up on the beach and killed him."

That is one heck of a true story...we have pictures to prove it!!  How I missed most of that story I do not know. I would blame it on the tequila we toasted with, but I didn't have enough to mess up my memory. 

                                

This was a wonderful experience for Tommy and Lisle.  It made Tommy's vacation. He still talks about his 7 foot, 125 pound shark he caught in Florida. And now when I tell his story, I have the facts and I can tell it correctly.  For that fact alone, Tommy is thrilled.