What Scares You?, Discussion - not debate

I love woodlands and I'll spend hours trekking through parts of the New Forest with the dogs. However, the other day I was still wandering about at twilight. It was getting dark and I came out onto an adjoining field to make my way back. Then I started to hear noises. Banging noises, like someone hitting a tree with a piece of wood, the usual rustling sounds and then the sound of children laughing and shouting. It seemed to me that it was coming from all round me - behind, in front then behind again. Now, I hear kids shouting and playing all the time, but for some reason, at that time and in those circumstances, I found it mighty creepy and I made it back to the car in record time.

So, on occasion, I find woodland a bit frightening. What do you find scary?

I’m not fazed by anything at all really. I love the dark; I love the woodland, although I must confess that your experience would send a shiver down the spine! As a child I did have a fear of spiders and to be honest, they are not high on my list of favourites now! But I think as one gets older, gets married and has children, one has to take on the responsibility of facing the fear to be able to deal them. Sharks, for some bizarre reason scare me. Although the only ones I have seen are the dead ones hanging outside angling centres.

But, if I have to admit to something that does scare me it would have to be ‘dolls’. Well their faces to be exact! I cannot stand to be stared at by dolls! Having two daughters (albeit both grown-up now) and three granddaughters, we do have a lot of dolls in the house. When the kids were little they would leave them lying around on chairs, especially in our bedroom, and I would always put them away, or at least cover their faces. Even in the dark, I could feel their eyes upon me. But it’s not only dolls; it’s pretty much anything with a face I guess. There is only one doll that stays in sight and that’s the one on the top shelf in the living room. It has a china face and belonged to my wife’s grandmother. I have learnt to live with that one, although, it doesn’t face me when I’m in the room.



But I know it’s watching!

What scares me? How long have we got

Not being in control. Like when at the dentist I feel vulnerable, or having anything done to me. Even the hairdressers. I'll only have a dry cut as I want to be out as quick as I can and do the rest myself.

I hate the dark and have always been afraid of it.

I don't like isolation, like holidaying in the middle of nowhere. I need to know there are people about. So long as they don't touch me Strange, aren't I

I love walking through the woods but wouldn't do it alone. Though I have before with our previous dog. Your experience would have unnerved me, Les. Again that is being 'not in control' as you couldn't work out where the noises were coming from and your senses were playing havoc and getting nowhere.

When I an alone at night I am more afraid of the unknown and what I can't see than what I can see.......Unless, like Ron, it's a bloomin great spider

Women .....

Rooooaaarrrrr!

What do you mean, 'women'?

I think I'm pretty immune to the traditional scary things. I've dozed off in some of the reputedly most haunted places in the country.

I don't know if you would call it scared; but I can't stand heights and spiders (however, I am fascinated by spiders).

Pain!!!

Moths...butterflies...wasps....mice...spiders..snakes...

Yep! That'll do it, Duck.

My family scare me, or there well being. I am a worrier, always have been. Not for me, oh no, I constantly worry about other people. If I don’t hear from one of the kids (kids! They are all adults now and two of them are married with families of their own!) But, they are still my kids and if I haven’t heard from them for a couple of days, I worry; I feel its all part and parcel of my responsibility as a parent. Our youngest daughter recently walked away from a motorway RTA relatively unscathed even though her car was a right-off.

It’s in these situations that you realise your true fears.

Very good point, Ron. Something happens when you have your own family. You find your ego taking a back seat and everything becomes all about your children. I guess that's the old 'survival of the species' thing coming out? Or, if you prefer, real love.

Alzheimer....*shudders*

Losing my mind and faculties? .....Urgh!

Oh, Lord, yes! That's got to be one of the scariest.

Could be a bit of both, Les.

It was on my birthday too. When she finally got home, through floods of tears she apologised for ruining my birthday and said she hadn’t had time to get me a card or a proper present. I said to her “but you have given me a proper present! The best present I could have ever asked for. You! Walking through that door. Now my birthday is complete!”

As for fear, there is nothing worse than fear itself.

Some may not have appreciated everything Christopher Hitchens had to say about certain things (I thought he was great!) but he said the following about his children.

I thinks it's spot on.

I agree, TD. Some of what he said was, indeed, spot on. I just think that he was more than a little OCD in some areas.
Other than that area - he was insightful and very clever. The above quote explains the parenting feeling exactly.