Sometimes You Just Gotta Steal to Write

image: uwathletics.com

A few days ago the Daily Writing Prompt was to write about one of my fears. Well, jeez, where to start? So I skipped that one. Then I read the post a blogging friend wrote. See, I should be that flexible. If you can’t choose which one fear to write about, just change the prompt. Duh. Except I didn’t think of that. What I did think immediately was: Hey, I’m going to do that, too! So here’s my alphabet of fears, courtesy of Breathing Space.

Alligators. No way I’m taking a canoe into any bayou, ever!

Black Friday shoppers.

Cosmetics. I never know what to do with them.

Drunk drivers.

Embarrassment. Not the funny kind. I can handle the funny kind.

Fascism.

Giant seaweed. I took a raft tour off the Pembrokeshire Coast once, and there was seaweed so big it scared the bejeezus out of me.

Hunters, especially the Dick Cheney type.

Improv, like sitting in a circle and everyone has to say something that keeps a story going. Celebrating our creativity and all that. My mind just goes blank in those situations.

July. It’s always so frickin’ hot.

Leeches. Eeeewwwwugghhaaaargghhhbbbrrrwwaaahhhhh!!!!!

Mountain lions. See this post.

Nasal incontinence. Imagine sneezing and snot flying everywhere. Which is why I’m very good at sneezing through my mouth.

Oncoming stuff in action movies. Yep, I duck for the truck in Twister and the tunnel in Skyfall. Heck, I even duck for the tunnel in The Polar Express.

Playscapes, when my kids used them. I imagined too vividly all the ways they could hurt themselves.

Quantum physics, and anything else that makes me feel stupid.

Religious fanaticism.

Sharks.

Tarantulas. And arachnids in general, but tarantulas are in a league of their own.

Unprepared, as in being it, for things like exams or presentations.

Vegetables that have gone bad at the bottom of the vegetable drawer. Not that that ever happens to me.

Waves, the huge ones like in The Perfect Storm. What makes them especially scary is that they come at you in this kind of slow motion, so you have all the time in the world to know you’re about to die.

Xenopi. Clawed frogs are never a good idea, especially in relation to gynecology.

Yak butter tea. Add to that sugar and I can’t think of anything eh, yuckier!

Zambonis. Having to sit in one and wave at everyone while they’re staring at you. I don’t mind being the center of attention as a blogger, but on a zamboni, never! Well, maybe if I got to shoot t-shirts, because then at least I’d have a task.