I think we all have various fears and phobias. I have three basic fears which haunt my daily existence. One is very easy to avoid, one is fairly easy to dodge and the other is everywhere and sometimes sneaks up on me. No, it’s not a bear.
Let’s start with the biggie that is sometimes hard to avoid: heights. I fucking hate heights and have my entire life. It is a fear I just can’t seem to conquer. I do things that push me out of my comfort zone. I’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building. I have taken a ski lift up a mountain. I’m a terrified, hot mess the whole time I do this stuff. Heights make me sick to my stomach. I’ve come close to passing out a few times from fear.
It doesn’t help that my husband is a thrill-seeker and loves heights. He will go to the top of any building, ride any roller coaster, climb a mountain, parasail and the list goes on. I will do none of these things except maybe hike a tall hill—not really a mountain.
I know I’m probably missing out on a lot of great stuff. For example, when he went to the edge of a cliff and had an amazing view of the Grand Canyon. I held back and sat safely far away from the edge. I’m okay with that.
Next on my list is a fear I can avoid with due diligence: Bed bugs. The thought of bed bugs freaks me the fuck out. I think I saw a piece on Dateline or 60 Minutes or some shit years ago that planted this intense fear in my head. Then my friend told me a story about how a friend of hers had a daughter who brought home bed bugs in a library book. It ended up costing them like $30,000 because they had to replace basically everything in their home. Fuck that.
I check hotel rooms for bed bugs like a crime scene detective. The show I watched which alerted me to my bed bug fear gave all the signs to look for when it comes to these gross little creatures. I feel prepared and so far, I’ve not encountered a bed bug. Victory!
Coming in third on my list of biggest fears is the scariest creature to ever walk the face of the earth: The Komodo Dragon. These things are terrifying! Now, I know you are probably thinking, where the fuck are you going that a Komodo Dragon is a threat? That is a great question and the answer is nowhere, but they still scare the hell out of me. Not all fears have to make sense.
I have been to a fair number of zoos in my time with my daughter. Whenever the Komodo Dragon makes an appearance, I freak out. These are the scariest things ever. They are basically a dinosaur. No, thank you.
Luckily, outside of a zoo, my travels really do not take me to anywhere I might bump into a Komodo Dragon. If they did, I learned their maximum land speed is only 12 miles an hour. I might be able to outrun that fucker if really pressed. I would certainly run the fastest I have ever ran in my whole life if I spotted one of these bad boys in the wild.
We are all scared of something. My fears may be a little quirky and unfounded, but here we are. I’m a loon. If I can just manage to avoid these things most days, I’ll call it good. That is really all I can ask for anyway.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
