Thursday, June 2, 2016

Fifteen Things I Fear




When my daughter turned four, we had a bounce house for her birthday.  Abby loved bounce houses. I was under the impression that all children loved them.  Most of her friends were certainly thrilled to climb in.  Even I joined in on the fun. 


But one sweet little boy from Abby's pre-school class was afraid to bounce.  He clung to his mom and watched the other kiddos laughing and bouncing and sliding and running around with abandon.  I felt for him.  I knew too well first-hand what it felt like to watch the fun from the sideline.  I had found myself there many times.

That memory led me to my current topic: fear of stuff other people seem to enjoy.  Here's a list of some of the things I fear, much to the surprise of nearly every other human on earth.

  1. Roller coasters
  2. Rides that spin
  3. Downhill anything (skiing, snowboarding, sledding)
  4. Pool parties
  5. Ice skating
  6. Riding a bike on the road with cars
  7. Canoeing and kayaking
  8. Water sports (from water skiing to water polo)
  9. Off-roading
  10. Snow-mobiling
  11. Big waves at the beach
  12. Camping in the wilderness
  13. Roller skating*
  14. Groups of small children
  15. Chef's choice tasting menus
I know not everybody likes all of the things on my list.  Others might fear roller coasters or prefer to stay on dry land, but each and every item on this list has at one time or another caused me to feel left out--entirely because of my fear to even try.  

As a kid, I dreaded birthday parties that took place at amusement parks, or worse, water parks.  

My favorite places on earth are in Maine and Hawaii, and yet many of the staple activities in each location are on my oh-my-god-don't-make-me-do-it list.  

This is problematic. But I'm working on it. 


*I will post more about this particular activity soon, as those who know me will try to argue this point.




3 comments:

  1. O my goodness! Your blog's description is so funny. I read every single entry because the writing is so enjoyable. Your voice is so authentic and again, funny! Looking forward to reading more.

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  2. Loved the list! I too share the fear of downhill skiing. I want to go but, the whole time I am terrified that I will lose control and run over one of the young children zipping in and out, weaving their way at top speed down the side of a mountain. Maybe it is time that I just admit it is not my thing. :) Curious about the roller skating...

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