What is your irrational fear?

That's not irrational. Just unlikely.

 

Rube Goldberg begs to differ

 

Heights bother me the most when there's even a remote chance I could fall. I love rollercoasters, but I'm strapped in. Not gonna fall. Same with looking out a skyscraper.

Last month I was having lunch with friends at the restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. (Which was fantastic and not as expensive as you might think).

Anyway, we had great seats next to the window, looking south. Didn't get nervous at all until I noticed the window washing trolley moving up on the east side of the building.

I also can't stand any insect bigger than a fly.

 

Escalators, bees, and heights. Whenever I go on an escalator, I think of falling backwards and going down.

 

Heck, I almost thought that happened to me a while back. I graduated a double-major, and had always represented myself as that in resumes and job searches. Then I had received a copy of my transcripts, and they only had me listed as one major. I nearly blew a gasket, and the woman on the phone wasn't very reassuring, saying they had to look into it. It was a long day before the woman called back, and told me I was right. I felt like George O'Leary.

And back to the original thread, I was in my senior class play, with a big part, and had done pretty well in it. But I've had the dream where it's the night of the play, and I haven't memorized my lines and I'm out on the stage, stumbling over what I have to say with the entire theater watching me.

 

Maybe not a "fear" but baboons freak the hell out of me. They look like little vicious midget werewolves. If one ever jumped on me, I'd shit myself. Fortunately, I do not live nor plan to visit Africa, so this is a fear I won't ever have to confront. I also have a general dislike for all monkeys/apes. Orangutans are OK, I guess.

 

If it stings, I'm terrified. I was once attacked by a bee hive when I was 12. Never been the same since. Fuck that hurt.

 

I always look to make sure my shoes are tied before I get on an escalator.

 

Me too.

 

Caves. Caverns. That kind of thing.
Not ever.

 

The last one. I'm pretty sure my glasses have never fallen off my face without provocation in the 20 years I've been wearing them, but I still get convinced that they will.

But I always say, for one thing, that I'm not afraid of heights, I'm just respectful of them, and for another, that it's not heights I'm afraid of but falls, and more specifically the sudden stop at the end.

 

Becoming my father.

Ain't gonna happen ... but these are supposed to be irrational fears, right?