I was going to start a thread by stating that nothing scares me, and ask if everyone else feels the same way. But I’m doubting it - I’m sure there are things that would scare me stiff, I just can’t think of any.
I guess I am scared by the thought of my parents dying, or my brother just as much. So, let’s stay away from that one, as I’m pretty sure that scares anyone with a loving family.
But tell me, as far as things that are usually considered “scary,” what actually scares you? What makes you think “I could not face this coolly and without shitting my shorts,” or, “if this happened to me, I would be petrified and unable to take any action.”
I’ve tried my hand at bullfighting, I’ve been in plenty of fist-fights, been tossed about at sea in waves larger than my boat, and I’ve played survivor on the Yucatan peninsula (not on TV, just on my unfortunate own). Still, I have to consider a madman waving a gun in my face during a hot-blooded crime - that would probably be pretty terrifying, because there’s no time for one to react, no time for one to *do *something. I mean, before you even process the fact that he just pulled the trigger, BAM, game over.
What else scares you, really, deep down? While we’re at it, are any of you women actually scared of rats and mice and things like that, or do you just scream and act scared because that’s what’s expected of you? I mean, you don’t think it’s going to attack and maim you… do you?
My kids all think that I’m not scared of anything. But in reality, I’m scared of a ton of things. Yes, I really am scared of those bugs and mice- the sensation of something like that being on you is too much! Aaaah!
What I’m scared the most of, though, is one of my kids dying. I really don’t know how I could possibly even get out of bed after that. People say that you go on, you have to for your other kids, blah, blah, blah, but no, I don’t think so. I would die. Literally. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn’t have even had kids because of the possibility one might die at some point.
I feel the same way about getting married. I can only hope the both of us die at the same time.
As a related story, I know a divorced woman with 3 beautiful, talented, gorgeous, smart, hard-working daughters (just like their mother). The littlest one was recently killed by an extremely drunk driver as she rode her skate-board down a quiet residential street. It hurt her just as much as it would hurt anyone, I promise you - but she refused to let the pain beat her down and her life has been very fulfilling despite the tragedy. She is the strongest woman I’ve met in all my life, and I admire her tremendously. I wish I could be like that, but I know I am not.
I don’t like to talk about “being scared of” things. That is, I dislike “fear” as a concept. It makes it sound like something I’m afflicted with, when in fact all fears have roots in beliefs. It’s the beliefs that I’m willing to state, as I feel I gain some sense of control over them when I articulate them this way.
I have a belief that spiders not only can, but intend to do me harm.
The other thing that scares me, would be having to go into a courtroom.
I can’t even bear to watch those silly ‘Judge Judy’ type shows on tv.
The sheer thought of having to go to court makes me physically ill.
The concept of infinity terrifies me. Heck, even considering the distance and time frames that are common in Astronomy scare me, which is why I’ll never be anything but a dilletante astronomy ‘fan.’
Steam scares me. It’s a very useful thing, but, I’m always careful around it. I was active duty when the USS Iwo Jima cooked a watch team, and it made a huge impression.
Very large spiders. They’ve been invading the house lately (it is fall, after all). I thought I’d gotten over the phobia, but since this recent invasion, I’ve got to deal with it all over again. But I’m dealing.
Sometimes I’m afraid of going blind. Once I dreamed I had a heart attack – it was very painful and frightening. WOke up from it entirely fine, no heart attack had happened, but I have an idea of what one might be like. Good motivation to exercise and eat right.
Infinity. As a child, I was afraid of infinity.
Imaginary and irrational fears seem more powerful than “real”, rational ones you can take action to cope with the ostensible cause. But even with them, the fear istself is in the mind.
This scares me, too. Dr. Phil had a woman on the other day. She thought she heard someone trying to get in the house, so she fell asleep with the gun next to her. In the morning, she had forgotten about it. A few minutes later, she heard the gunshot coming from her toddler’s room. She was utterly devastated. I try to put myself in her shoes, and I honestly don’t think I could go on. I cannot imagine enduring that kind of pain and guilt.
I’m afraid of some bugs, too. But it’s not the same thing.
The American voter and how few Americans actually vote. Honest – that keeps me up nights and sometimes approaches the classical definition of dread. Reality shows get more of our attention than our own future as a people.
In terms of more normal things people are afraid of; silverfish. When I was very young, we lived in a slum apartment that was pretty much infested. Just the sight of one causes a lot of “flashback” that I really don’t want to revisit.
Nope, I’m afraid too. I’ve had full blown panic attacks just thinking about it.
I’m also afraid of sharks. So afraid that I refuse to swim in the ocean and when I torture myself by watching *Shark Week * or Jaws, I have to pull my feet up onto the couch and tuck them snuggly under my butt, you know, so a Land Shark doesn’t sneak up and bite them off. [Insert “crazy” smiley here]
Mice and rats. A few weeks ago, I was heating up my oven while preparing something on the stove. I thought I saw something near my bare feet, but I must have been mistaken. Then I took a little step to my right, and out it came. Gigantic fucking freak mouse with hideous fangs and gigantic tentacles, shooting death beams from its beady little death sockets. It was within inches of my bare feet. It scurried across the floor and under the fridge, but not before flicking a cigarette butt at me, calling me a punk, and running a comb through its DA. The back of its leather jacket had a skull and crossbones spraypainted on it.
Tapiotar, I’ve rarely met people who’ve admitted it as one of their major fears, when asked for a list. Likewise, I’ve rarely met people who don’t say something like, “Oh, yeah, that can bug me too. Let’s change the topic. Quickly,” when I bring it up, myself.
I don’t think it’s a commonly acknowledged fear, but it does seem to be one that a lot of people can “get.”
She was utterly devastated. I try to put myself in her shoes, and I honestly don’t think I could go on. I cannot imagine enduring that kind of pain and guilt.