Phobias

October 7, 2010



People love their phobias. Withn the anxiety and the trepidation, there is something that makes us hold on to them.

For example, just now, thinking about really trying to desensitize myself with regard to my arachnophobia, I actually felt kind of … sad. Like I would miss the drama, the attention that I make to myself of this inordinate fear of spiders. I would actually miss the fear?

Or am I just talking myself out of trying to desensitize myself.

I truly am afraid of spiders. No reason, really. No memory of a traumatic event. Maybe it’s a past-life thing. Actually, yes, come to think of it, there is an early memory of being in bed, waking up sleepily, and with every stuffed animal I owned having a sleepover that night. A spider. Small but large to my young eyes (4 year old, maybe? 6?), crawling relentlessly, and rapidly – startlingly – across my bed, and under my bunny rabbit. I could not save my bunny rabbit. Stuffing 12 other beloved toy animals in my two little arms, screaming bloody murder for my other - is my next memory. And my mother, so calm, so comforting. I will always admire mama for her lack of fear and the chivalry of her nestling it into a tissue to set it free outdoors.

Today, they get in my house, they're dead. Sorry. Outside, i avoid you, spider. Inside, you weren't invited and you scare me!

Spiders are always running, rapidly, startlingly, across one’s vision. Often towards me, it seems. Coming right at me. Relentless. Purposeful. Driven. Because it knows I’m afraid of it and is coming to scare me.

I really don’t think they’ll bite me – unless I provoke them, of course, the spiders “are just afraid of you as you are of them” (yeah, right). It’s just that they startle me, and they seem to do it on purpose. "BAH". “I am in front of your face you stupid human and you didn’t see me coming and I might TOUCH you.”. Their tickling touch – ick!

Okay, I’m changing the subject now. Thanks for listening.

Rantings of an aging baby boomer.


Happy Halloween, everyone.