The other day after returning from lunch, we were all walking (read: very slowly) back to our offices to resume our normal workday, when somehow (the rabbit trails we chase are impressive), the topic of getting sick came up.
It probably came up because currently there is all manner of viruses floating around and we’re all terrified of being the next victim, but anyway, I readily admitted to the fact that vomiting is one of my biggest fears.
The rule here at LPM is if you are sick: STAY HOME. Thank you very much. We love you, but we don’t love your germs.
I won’t go into detail on here out of respect for the fact that some of you might be catching up on the blog during your lunch break, but needless to say, there is nothing worse in my book than getting a stomach virus that produces this kind of reaction.
Lord help me if I end up being one of those that suffers from you-know-what during pregnancy. Speaking of that, I’m going to start asking the Lord to have a little grace on me in that area when that time comes. I’m believing God.
Anyway, once I admitted to that bizarre fear, she who will remain nameless, admitted another strange fear that may or may not have involved a parking lot.
I let she who will remain nameless expand on that if she wants.
We go so tickled that I immediately thought of how quirky we all were and then I thought of y’all. For some reason I have this feeling that if I asked you what your most bizarre fear was, you would deliver.
So, spill it.
Now, I realize we all have legitimate fears, but if you have something out of this world weird, we want to know.
You are in good company.
Oh, and for the record, the fear of vomiting has a term. (Could this post be any less girly? Laughing. Sorry, y’all. Just being real.)
It’s called Emetophobia.
Boom.
You’re welcome.
I am afraid of being in pain, unable to care for myself, and nobody will give me pain medicine. I have a very low tolerance for pain, I have fibromyalgia and arthritis, both of which cause a lot of pain, and most people don’t really understand how much I hurt. Therefore, they would probably be skimpy with pain meds, and if I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t even tell them how badly I hurt. People have a tendency to think people like me are just whiners, or self indulgent. That is probably my worst fear.
Next would be fear of losing power and being hot or cold, not able to fix food, etc. People in the northeast are going through that right now!!!!
God have mercy on them and help them.
It may sound silly, but I have an irrational fear of using an escaltor ~ especially going down… I feel like I will fall. I don’t understand it, because when I was little I loved them, and could go up and down without a problem (even going up backwards).
So two pregnancies cured me of a fear of vomiting. But I remember my little sister running frantically away from anyone who had the flu crying and screaming.
My zaniest fear is called trypophobia. It’s a super strong aversion to clusters of things. (See http://www.popsci.com/trypophobia )
I didn’t know it was a real thing until about a year ago, and I feel so relieved to know that this quirk has a name.
Me too! I had no idea anyone else felt the same. I wouldn’t say I fear clusters, but I do shiver at the sight of some. I can’t look at my husband’s day old stubble on his face upclose and one time a coworker had a cluster of push pins on her bulletin board. I told her for some reason I just can’t look at those all together like that. Glad I am not alone:)
A small town girl, my biggest fear is driving my car in Big City Traffic! Yep, I know I would never be happy in Houston!
I’m afraid of getting caught doing something embarrassing on a stores security camera and ending up on a website. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Well then don’t do anything silly” but there are a lot of ordinary things that when you see them out of context could be misconstrued as something mortifying. Like if you were picking something off the back of your slacks, like a lint ball or something, it could look like you were “picking” something else. Irrational, but so true.
Ok, I know this is irrational but I have a fear of glitter. I hate glitter! Whenever I get a card with glitter on it or have to touch anything that has glitter I feel like I may hyperventilate. And I can’t stand it when someone has a piece on their face. I know it’s rediculous but I can’t help it. Crazy thing is I have three kids and one of them is a girl who loves glitter!
Styrofoam.
‘Nuff said!
I am becoming afraid of growing old…..alone and sick. I try to fight this, as I know that I will never be alone because I always have my Lord with me. But now that I am 60, single again, and my kids are grown and gone, this is getting close. Here is my bottom line…….I TRUST GOD and I know He does what He says He can do !!! 🙂
I have a fear of falling down the stairs. I will walk or even run up flights of stairs but walking down them is a different story.
I cannot figure it out. Am I the victim or the crime, the criminal maybe? Thus is the conundrum of my life, it haunts me. Praise The Lord that He loves me and that He raises me up, lifts me up to Him. Psalm 116 is my life chapter though I still do not know how to turn all this around so that I can speak of it, use it to proclaim His victory in it. I am so very thankful to Him for Beth, the things she’s been through, how she shares her coping skills, her ministry. I do work memorizing to replace the tapes that my mind loops. Thankful for how He loves us in spite of ourselves. HE is my Father, The Lord Jesus my Savior. It is only by looking up to Him that I can get clear, He is my ROCK. My fear overwhelms me when I focus too closely on what has been done, examine our familial roles and try to unknot those ties, to grapple with shoulda, coulda, woulda of a confusing family. I suspect many of us wrestle with these writhing, out-sized fears of our responsibilities as children in struggling families. I thank The Lord that He has a plan for me, that He MEANT me, I am His creation, all of that had a purpose which He will show me and use – in His good time. “I love The Lord, for He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy, because He turned His ear to me I will call on Him all the days of my life.” Praise You, Lord, praise You.
Kittens and tidal waves! Really?! Why?
I have a fear of something happening to my husband and being left alone. We have an empty nest this year and I lost my job and can’t find another one ….so I guess just adjusting to all of it has brought this on. We have our last wedding in 2 weeks. God is who He says he is. He is able.
My 9 yr old has a real fear of throwing up as well!! I thought it would just be a phase because no one REALLY has that fear as an adult! Wrong!! I’m so goin to share this with her so she knows she’s not the only one. Thanks for sharing, I had no idea there was a name for it either! God bless!!
Bears in the woods! I really like them very much and think they are wonderful animals but the thought of encountering one and getting eaten by him in the woods has kept me from many an adventure.
I have a fear of falling off the side of Niagra Falls. I have never been there and am not planning to go! My husband thinks it is hilarious that I can’t even stand to watch scenes with Niagra Falls on tv or the movies.
Ohhhhh, I do not like falls – Niagra and others!
Automatic car washes! Particularly the bar that comes straight at the windshield, threatening me, even! What if those big bars surrounding my car lost their sensors and went whackadoodle, ripping through my windshield and knocking me in the head? Seriously. I slide my seat back as far as it will go (only on my most irrational days) so I can quickly duck if needed. 🙂 Why do I still go through those automatic car washes, you ask? My fear of them is surpassed by my hatred of washing the car.
Amy, You made my morning. I don’t think your fear is irrational, for I know several that have that fear. I just love the fact that you hate to wash your car more than you fear the car wash. Thank you.
My mom had a cure for that! When I was little, it frightened me when we went through the carwash. Mom had a stash of chocolate-covered cherries that would come out during the car wash! Yum!
I am afraid of dead people…..come on! What ever could they do to me….I am always afraid that they will wake up or something….have no idea why that is one of my fears……When someone I know dies I hate going to the funeral home….so afraid they will sit up and talk. Lyn
Bats swooping in the night. I will not walk out in the open after dark without something over my head.
Oh, Betty. We have had bats in our HOUSE six different times over the last year. It was terrible and hilarious all at the same time. To see my brave husband it the floor in an instant was too much. The whole family screams and laughs when the ugly little creatures make an appearance. I sure hope it doesn’t happen again!
Ok, this is really crazy and I know another person that has it too. Here goes, I am afraid of driving over bridges, not because of the height, but because I get this crazy urge to drive off the side of the bridge . I’m way too scared to actually do it, but I can picture myself crashing over the side! How crazy is that!!
Me too!!
Bridges – yep one of my fears. My sister and I went on a road trip (she has the same fear) and we tried to plan that the OTHER would be driving when we got to any bridges. LOL!
I was reading this page the other day & had to agree with you, I get fearful when going over bridges…Well, I forgot that I was about to be stretcheddd in this area….lol…last night we had to drive into San Francisco to pick up my Army son at the airport & not only did I have to go over the San Mateo bridge once….but TWICE…and in the DARK!!! I had to do some serious praying the 2nd time….Yikes! But I was victorious through the blood of Christ! 🙂
Ever since a spider peed on me while looking at it through my camper window screen, I can’t stop thinking about it when I sleep next to that window in the warm weather. I did confirm spiders actually do this on the internet. What did we expect? Now, what others things are out there that we’ve never thought about???
I have a strange fear that when I go into a bathroom, even my own, a large snake will be coiled in a circle under the seat where i cant see it or if its not there yet is on its way and will slither up through the pipe. I always look first to make sure there are no snakes in the toilet.
The other strange fear is public restrooms that are empty. I’m sure there’s someone crouching on the toilet so I can’t see their feet and will come get me as soon as I sit down. Lol
Julie- that does not sound strange to me. I don’t know if I should tell you or not but that happened to my husband years ago! He was up at his parents house (they lived in an old farm house)and went to use the bathroom. Well, I don’t need to tell you what happened next….out of the bathroom, drawers down he came! Coiled around the toliet was a large black snake! He saw it once he sat down! I always look when I use that bathroom….just in case it happens again! I think it had been a dry, hot summer and that ole snake was looking for water!
I cannot believe that there is someone else who has this fear! I will stay in the bed in the middle of the night until I just can’t hold it anymore to avoid going into our “snake-filled” bathroom!
great! NOW I HAVE this fear!!! a snake coiled under a toliet seat? reallly? BAahhhhhhh
I’m right there with you! Vomiting is one of my great fears. Another is open doors while I’m sleeping…bedroom door, closet door and bathroom door all mus be closed! Too many scary movies in my lifetime I guess!
I have a fear of bridges. More specifically, my car careening OFF the bridge into the water below and me trying to wait until it fills up with water to open the car door or crashing the window with some sort of super woman strength so I could swim to safety.
And hillbillies. The kind from Deliverance or Nell where they live in total isolation and don’t understand the “laws of society”. Not just your run-of-mill rednecks. I am fine with them.
Flame.Retardent.Pajammas. First of all, they snag anything on your body. Then they cause so much static that you get shocked half to death. Lastly they “shrink wrap” your body ( similar to getting stuck in your clothes). My kid WILL never own those. And spiders, you know they’ve seen you before you’ve seen them and they are already calculati
ng they’re next move on ya!
I have a ridiculous fear of driving over bridges. I always think about what will happen and what I should do if they collapse as I am driving over. Silly I know – but it could happen!
One of my MANY fears are the dark navy blue stripes at the bottom of an Olympic swimming pool. Growing up I always thought they were sharks and would come eat me. I had a slight panic attack when I was swimming one time because of those stinking lines and my swimming teacher had to save me. As an adult, they still get me!
Getting stuck in a hooded sweatshirt! (or any clothing going over your head) and not being able to breath!! I tend to struggle with claustrophobia and this action magnifies it. I make a hole with both of my hands so I can clearly see through the hoodie and quickly put it on..but it still causes my heart to race.
Heather, I share this one with you. I have had this fear since I was a child. And it hasn’t gone away as an adult!
Not a fan of clowns. We had two pictures in my brothers room when we were little and I know their eyes followed us every time we walked by, I know they did. Clowns are creepers. Also any kind of snake, big or small a snake is a snake dead or alive still a snake. Mr. No Shoulders is no friend of mine. In the words of Si on Duck Dynasty, ” hey, he’ll turn around and pop you right the face even with his head cut off”.
O.K., are you ready for this? Bellybuttons. I can’t stand to touch (or even see) my own or anyone elses. They totally gross me out. You can imagine this was a problem when having to clean my children’s umbilical cords. This fear stems from when I was little and my mom told us that we would unravel if we touched ours. I imagined my body whirling around the room like a balloon with the air being let out of it. No way, no how I’m touching that thing. I’m 39. The lint in there must way a ton.
Also, I have a fear (and recurrent dreams about it) of someone attacking me in the night and I can’t find my glasses (which I only wear at night anyway). I keep fighting and trying to get away all the while searching for my glasses (think Velma from Scooby Doo). When I’m finally asked to testify in court, no one can understand why I can’t describe my attacker since he was so close. I keep trying to explain what it’s like to not be able to see but no one believes me. Funny, I know.
I can also identify with so many others on here: butterflies, refrigerated biscuits, my hand being in the garbage disposal and it accidentally turning on. Oh my gosh, we are one funny bunch! 🙂
If it makes you feel better, I sleep with my glasses on for just this reason. I know its crazy, but I can’t see and want to be able to see if I hear something during the night.
I’m right there with you, Lindsee on the vomiting thing and the pop cans. Good to know I’m not alone. But balloons have been my biggest fear–has impacted many a party for me. I think it comes from a cartoon I watched as a child where a balloon with a face appeared in a window. Creepy.
My fear is if the public toilet (this may be a more rational fear). I absolutely despise using it, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Recently, my 8 year old daughter, whom I have told and shown no less than a million times to “build a nest,” just flopped down on the seat! I nearly came out of my skin!!
Everytime I hold a baby…..I have a fear that I’m going to drop it. Especially when it’s someone else’s baby. I had four babies and it wasn’t as bad but when I hold any other baby, I feel that every time. I have no idea why……
Cats.
They freak me out.
Mine is so horrible! I have a fear of washing my hands in a public bathroom! Everyone’s germs being washed down in the same sink. What if they jump up and get on me!!! So I carry wipes in my purse and hand santitizers but without doubt I get those people looking at me like I’m gross because I don’t wash!!!!
Finding a dead body in a public restroom. I never go in one when I don’t worry about it. Strange!
Bridges, not any ole bridge, but the really tall ones, that are usually single lanes… I get all nervous just looking at them, having to be around them makes my hands and feet sweaty! please don’t make me drive on one! I have to focus on breathing if i must drive on one. I didnt know what i was getting into when I went to the SSMT in January I’m Houston! That HOV freaks me out, not to mention all the other very tall overpasses! My feet are starting to sweat just typing this – thanks Lindsee! Lol Seriously, thanks, this was fun to read 🙂
I fear latex balloons – hate them with a purple passion. I’m always scared they’re going to pop in my face & scare me. I won’t let my children have them or allow them in my house or especially my car.
Rats-mice-snakes.
Tornadoes.
Vomiting in public.
Crowds.
Ugh. I need to go lie down. Or watch “What About Bob?”…..
“What if I need to go to the bathroom, and I can’t find one…and my bladder explodes?”
I hate vomiting and will avoid it, fight it, ignore it, anything to not to, too!
For me, I cannot not drink white milk out of a white cup. Especially a white-lined party cup with the soft rounded edges. No idea why or when this aversion began. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it!
Oh I have an enormous fear of roaches!! Even water bugs (which is still a roach to me) will have me running for cover no matter how big of a fool I make of myself! Not only am I afraid of roaches but I have this crazy fear that they are going to crawl all over me while I am asleep at night! Lets just say….if I see a dead one, I won’t even pick it up (I have to call for backup) because it could start moving again and then I would just DIE!!
Right here with ya, Heather!!! The small roaches don’t bother me much, it’s just the huge, black looking water bugs or Palmetto bugs here in SC that FLY!!! They look as if they’re at least 3 inches long and they move so fast! I’M PETRIFIED!!! I spray Home Defense all around my house outside, put roach baits in my house along with boric acid tablets and ALWAYS have Instant Kill bug spray close by! Crazy! I, too, have the fear of them crawling on me when I’m sleeping. Worse even yet, I have the fear of them swarming all over me after I’m dead (what does it matter, I’ll be dead, I won’t even know about it, but still!) I want to be cremated to eliminate this irrational thought! It all goes back to when I lived in Florida as a teen and my brother threw a GINORMOUS Palmetto Bug on me and I could feel it crawling all in my hair! I about went BESERK!!! If I had known how to swim, I would have jumped in the pool. As it was, I invented a new dance I named “The Spastic Gyration” I know God has a purpose for each and every creature He brought into being
in this world, but I’d like to ask Him “WHY ROACHES?” LOL!
Would you believe the moment you wrote this Friday morning I was walking one of my pre schoolers (I am the teacher not the mom) to his seat at the breakfast table and you got it! He threw up. I went back to teaching after 17 years staying home with my own kids and there it was not a fear but yes…. a gag where I had to scream out somebody help me he has thrown up! I am sure my co workers thought why are you lady teaching 4 year olds if she can’t do throw up. Guess I have developed it in the last 17 years! thanks for the funny blog made my day!
My quirkiest fear would be of derailing trains. I try to avoid ever being stopped at a railroad crossing if it looks like I would be one of the first cars at the crossing. If I am the first I will not pull up to the safety arms…I leave ridiculously ample space & pray that the cars behind me aren’t thinking what in the world & start honking? Also, if there is a train on a bridge & we have to drive under I speed up very quickly to drive under & seriously have almost rear ended a car that slowed in front of me. I have dreamt about derailing trains since I was a little girl & just assume that has something to do with it. We have just recently moved and are 2.5 miles (yes that’s an exact accurate mileage) from the highway & the train tracks running parallel to the highway. They are a part of our daily commute & I have learned their schedule and know when to leave our house at a specific time every morning so as to avoid waiting at the crossing. So there you have it…As the train calls to me in the distance, lol!
This is a fear mostly it’s weird. When I am putting a raw egg in something I have to take the white vein thing out of the egg. I have this gross out feeling and can’t eat the food if I don’t get it out of the egg. It’s crazy but very true. Lol
I do that too!
I am afraid of hangnails. Toenails, fingernails that have been slightly taken off…I have been known to call a neighbor to come take care of my child when it happens! I feel like I’m going to pass out!!
Clowns scare me
Spiders cause a HUGE jump in my blood pressure/heart rate and my normally low voice will get very high as I holler for someone to come and kill it
Bridges – ones that cross over rivers – absolutely terrify me! A lifelong fear that started when I was 3 and was walking across an old wooden one with my Mom. She told me that I stepped in a hole and my whole leg went through it. After my 2nd son was born, the fear intensified into a panic! I knew if our car fell into the river I would not be able to save both of my babies! Thank the Lord for His protection every time we had to cross the 3 bridges on the way to my parent’s house and then back home!!
Asymmetry in egg cartons…if eating two eggs will cause this, then I will eat three. Or however many eggs are necessary to achieve even egg-spread.
Am so thankful for you girls, your honesty and your openness. I read through this blog and I can stop worrying “am I normal, am I a christian?” to be struggling with these everyday fears and sometimes unrealistic fears” and today I realize I CAN! I Am not alone on this earth (I know Jesus lives within me) that i am walking in good company and apparently A LOT of company! Lol. I can laugh at myself! Thankyou LMP bloggers xx
I have a fear of cotton balls. I absolutely cringe just thinking of touching them. The texture makes me want to crawl out of my skin. This tends to be a problem as a Kindergarten teacher because we frequently use them (I can’t even type the words) for projects.
My mom is the same way! Anything even remotely close to those “things” in feeling & she goes crazy. You’re not alone!
I am terrified of Canada geese. Those beady eyes, long necks, the hissing noise…A friend told me that her boss inadvertently walked too close to a Canada goose nest, and the goose knocked her down to the sidewalk and pounded the back of her neck with its bill. My friend said, “She’s still in therapy.” I said, “if a goose knocked me down and pounded my neck, I’d be in counseling for the rest of my life!” My friend said, “It’s physical therapy, Alice. The goose damaged her neck nerves.” Can you believe it? Steer clear of those geese, people! You’ll need 2 kinds of therapy!
While I don’t wear panty hose anymore, I was/am afraid they will fall down while I’m walking in public.
Cotton balls. I had many ear infections/aches as a child and was always having cotton stuffed in my ears after the ear drops. To this day, I cannot stand cotton balls…to see them, touch them or have them applied to my skin in any manner. I begin to feel physically ill and get chills. Sad, silly, I know, but true.