A couple of weeks ago I had a dinner party, and a mouse jumped out from below my grill and ran through the feet of my guests. (long deep mournful sigh) I’ve been traumatized ever since. I had it all checked out and the “nest” was taken care of but … I can’t help but think “it’ll happen again”. Years ago in the dead of the coldest part of winter, a mouse stuck his nose out of an opening in my house and my then cat just sat there unimpressed. I immediately contracted with someone to seal up all openings in my house. Another time, I had issues with raccoons on my roof doing their business; and so I had nightmares that they lived in my attic (which I understand can happen, don’t tell me stories). Bottom line, deviations to the norm involving critters (including snakes) sends me over the edge.*
I don’t particularly see myself outgrowing this. I remember my dad one year at Clarion’s Festival in the Park. Some guy with
one of those monstrous big yellow pythons was walking around the park -- dad had to leave. I remember at our house in Sioux City, he’d stare on in abject horror at my nephew (his grandkid) swinging snakes above his head in the backyard. My mom had the same fear with mice.
Everybody has their thing. Bugs and spiders don’t stress me out; I have no issues with them. I’ve learned to ride around snakes (geese on the other hand, I’ll turn around on a trail - they are vicious) and so, I guess I’ve grown a bit, but mice in my house … nah.
We all have our “fears”. Some people are terrified of public speaking, some don’t like needles … some fear spiders … It makes us human. To live life without a bit of fear is not healthy in my opinion.
*I would make a great “boy in the bubble”. A hermetically sealed situation would do me well. Zoom is my friend.
