Not all noises make me jump, just the aforementioned car horns and especially someone knocking on the front door or the doorbell. My cell phone used to make me jump but not so much anymore.
I’m definitely skittish.
I’M NOT!!
Oh yes, the whole thing. I’m sure neighbours and random people in the street think I am (at the very least) “eccentric”. Or as complete basket case, of course, - there is that. Far too many exchanges, coming round a corner, coming out of a lift/elevator etc, that go along the lines of Celyn sqawks or screams, other person way “oh, sorry did |I startle you? “, I say” um, not your fault at all, so sorry” etc. Of course, that’s on the days when I DO leave the house …
I live in an area that has a lot of refugee immigrants, so I feel dreadful if I react with alarm to someone and they don’t really have enough English to make sense of my “I am so sorry - I’m just a very nervy person - now I have startled you as well, oh hell, this is horrible … so very sorry…” Oh well, inane grins seem to work.
Did someone says it was worse in the military? Eek! I should think it would be, and more embarrassing too. Now, there’s a career that’s not for me.
I have been known to snarl, whirl around menacingly, and even throw small objects if someone speaks to me in a quiet room while my back is turned.
I used to be jumpy, but three years of working in a theatre with a long, dark hallway leading to the booth has cured me of that. A hallway like that is waaaaaay too tempting for people to hide in and jump out at you, or grab your ankle, or scream at you, or pressure-walk up the wall and drop on you from above, or turn on a strobe light in your face, or sneak under your chair while you’re running sound cues and zip-tie your foot to your chair… You get so used to it after a while that it takes an earthquake to get your attention.
I despise balloons because they pop.
When I was little, my sister used to hide behind a door and jump out and scare me. I have hated that ever since, and have had to snap at my children not to jump out and scare me when I come home from work. They’ll hide behind Ivylad’s car and wait for me to walk by. Or, I should say, used to.
I’m not jumpy, but my husband is. He would probably like it if I stopped making him jump. In my defense, however, after I’ve noisily walked up behind him, grabbed him and made him jump once, then grabbed him again while he knew I was still standing there, he should probably have an idea of where I am at that point.
Where did you bury them?
Not jumpy here… usually.
There was a time while I was in college when I worked security at an abandoned girls school… alone… on the midnight shift. I was a bit jumpy then.
It was cool looking around, there was only power in one part of one building so I needed to use a flashlight to explore. It wouldn’t have been so bad except that I felt I was in a low budget horror movie.
I’m right there with you, although cutting way down on caffeine has helped. Back when I did caffeine you had a 50/50 shot if you walked up behind me and touched me on the shoulder - I would either jump, or jump and scream. I once dated a boy (we were in high school) who thought it was fun to jab me in the ribs when I wasn’t paying attention. That stopped after I backhanded him in the sternum and knocked the wind out of him - and that was instinctive, I couldn’t have done it trying!
20+ years later, and on much less caffeine, I still jump if I hear a sudden noise. Of course, now I have to stop and think what bad kitty behavior that noise might mean, but I still levitate!
Arianne
I don’t care for sudden, unexpected loud noises, like backfires, dogs, or glassware falling off the counter. But I don’t mind being near Harleys, jets, chainsaws, etc. It’s the surprise factor that bothers me.
Oh, and people who pop their gum in public should be killed.
I’m pretty jumpy. Part of my problem is that I tend to tune things out and get lost in my own little world… If someone innocently walks up behind me and says something when I’m, say, doing dishes or sewing, it makes my heart stop for a second.