The other night, we had an uninvited visitor. The rattling in the ceiling fan globe in the middle of the night was out and out scary for my daughter. I’m a brave old broad, though. I surrounded the lamp fixture with a plastic bag, unscrewed it, and took the whole works outside for a closer look.
My first guess at the house guest was a big moth, drawn to the light. My daughter was sure it was a directionally-challenged mouse.
We were both wrong. It was a bat.I said, “Cool!” as she squeaked, “Ew, ew, ew!” The dogs and the toddler weren’t involved and didn’t comment.
So, some folks are fascinated by insect-eating mammals that fly and others are repulsed. Are you afraid of bats? I’m sure there’s a name for it. Me? I hate insects, so bats are my friends.
How about you? What are you afraid of? Do you fit into any of the categories in http://www.fearof.net/top-10-phobias-of-all-time/ list? Okay, fess up: which ones? How many?
10. Trypophobia – The fear of holes. Does seeing coral, sponges or dried honeycombs throw you into a tizzy? If so, you may have this.
9. Aerophobia – The fear of flying. Hmm. Sounds like a good title for a book. I’m glad I don’t have this. I want to go to Australia again and last time I checked, it took months to sail over there. No inbound railroads or highways, either.
8. Mysophobia – The fear of germs. I can handle those; it’s sticky or dirty surfaces that make me want to scrub and scour. I guess I don’t have this one.
7. Claustrophobia – The fear of small spaces. Thanks, I’ll take the stairs rather than the elevator. Need I say more?
6 Astraphobia – The fear of thunder and lightning. Hmm. If I can hear the thunder, I’m safe from the lightning. It’s still loud and scary at times. If you have this, consider a move to Anchorage. In 25 years, I only heard thunder a few times, most of that was when global warming hit a few years back.
5. Cynophobia – The fear of dogs. Most cynophobes are women. Glad to say I’m not one of them. Here, puppy, puppy…
4. Agoraphobia – The fear of open or crowded spaces. Do you love going to the mall? If so, then you don’t have this.
3. Acrophobia – The fear of heights. That’s the irrational fear of heights (not me) OR the fear of falling. Does the fear of depths count (me)?
2. Ophidiophobia – The fear of snakes. Ah, snakes, they eat bugs and mice and other vermin (gophers and moles!). I like snakes, except vipers.
1. Arachnophobia – The fear of spiders. Really? I pick them up and take them outside. They're my friends. They eat bugs!
So, I guess I’m not typical with my phobias. The fear or hatred of insects didn’t even make the top ten. What’s on your list?
Here's
a big guy who's afraid of bugs. Meet Benji, 'The Great Big Fairy.'
Fairies are time travelers. Benji is one, too, and is stuck in the 21st
century, trying to get back to his natal 18th century. Does he make it?
And will he be able to stay? Find out about him and the lovely lady in
TGBF.TGBF - Amazon
TGBF - Nook
And don't forget, Summer Heat - Love on Fire will release on all digital venues May 24. Pre-order here: www.summerheatauthors.com
