The first episode of The Chileans Sea Blob podcast features “Jesus Lizard,” a story about an inquisitive middle schooler, Ralph, who gets so wrapped up in his oral report on the basilisk lizard that he accidentally incites a crisis of faith in his small town. By mimicking the subject of his research, Ralph learns to run across the surface of the water. Now, everyone must decide whether Ralph is the second coming or just a teenager with big feet.
I wrote this story because I wanted to explore how difficult it can be to explore your interests and to be truly exceptional during adolescence. Much of it is based on my observations of my brother’s middle school experience.
This story first appeared in North American Review.
