In a crisis, when all logic suggests that you get away from the dangerous thing, how will you respond? Prologue: Ira talks to two members of a recreational swimming club who intentionally swam straight toward a shark that had just bitten their friend. (10 minutes) If I Only Had My Brain: Sarah Polley has always been reluctant to jump into challenging situations. Then something happened that changed all of that – something that also made her think her teeth were going to fall out. (21 minutes) Am I Doing It Alt-Right, You Guys?: Comedian Josh Johnson tells the story of a “trad wife” who stepped into an incendiary situation. And even as the flames consumed her, she kept stepping. (7 minutes) Mom Thinks He Doth Protest Too Much: This summer, thousands of young people have taken to the streets in Nairobi to protest the Kenyan government. But behind those protestors are thousands of worried parents. Reporter Kimu Elolia talks to a woman whose son keeps lying to her. (19 minutes)
A quick warning.
There are curse words that are unbeeped in today's episode of the show.
If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org.
Maybe you saw this story in the news earlier this summer.
A man's getting mauled by a shark maybe 100 yards out from a beach near San Diego.
He yells for help, yells, shark.
A woman swimming near him also yells.
And some guys hear it and swim towards the shark attack to rescue him, which they do.
He lives.
So, you know, happy ending.
But here's the question.
I couldn't stop thinking about this.
Who does that?
Who hears somebody else shark and swims towards the shark?
What kind of person is that?
So I work in real estate development for a company that's based out of LA in Brentwood.
We build apartments, hotels, resorts, offices.
Meet Cameron Whiting, 31, single.
Knew he moved to San Diego and he was there the morning of the shark attack with a group the North County Ocean Swimmers that meets four times a week to swim a mile, mile and a half or more.
I was out in the water about 100 yards offshore, just past the breaking waves with another swimmer, Kevin Barrett.