| Lynnie |
09-24-2008 07:38 PM |
Ay ay ay, I don't know if I'd have the courage to do that. Some guts you've got then, Fomal. Good for you! :)
I don't think I'd call myself an arachnophobe as I'm not really scared of them, I just don't like them all that much, and if one startles me I can have a near heart attack.
I remember once when I was 9 or 10, I was in bed and just about to doze off, when I felt something tickle my arm. I opened my eyes to see, in the dim light of my bedroom, a quarter sized spider crawling over my bare arm. Yeah, I nearly had a heart attack. There's few things as unpleasant as being aroused from slumber to not only see but feel a creature you know could have a harmful bite crawling on you. I remember throwing my covers over it, hoping to trap it there long enough for me to run to the restroom and get some tissue. I don't remember if I had plans to kill it or release it out my window, although I have to admit after being frightened to such an extent, I was probably planning on killing it so I wouldn't have to worry about waking up to find it touching me again. When I got back from the bathroom it was gone. :macwor: I then remember not sleeping much that night.
Another memory of spiders was when I was 11 and my family was camping in Colorado. There was a giant spider living in the ladies restroom at the campground. Seriously, I didn't even know such big spiders were in the US, I'm wondering if it was an escaped pet. It must have been 7-8 inches long. And yes, it was real and alive, I saw it walking. I was so creeped out by it I didn't want to go to the restroom after dark, and when I went during the day, I made sure I found where it was before I went about my business- always on the opposite side of the building if I could help it. It liked to hide behind the toilets, in the corner under the sinks and sometimes in the showers. It was light brown, thin and virtually hairless, unlike a tarantula which are stocky and covered in hair. I have no idea what kind it was, but it was big.
And yet another memory took place later that year, after my 12th birthday, when I was on a campout/field trip with my school. My friends and I were gathered around the campfire eating when I saw something move from behind one of my best friends. I looked closer and out from the shadows marched a tarantula. I screamed, and gave everyone else a heart attack. And again, the reason for my scream was merely because it startled me and I didn't like that in the least. It must have been drawn to the fire by the heat because it marched right into the firepit. :o We saw a lot of dead tarantulas while on the outing too, after getting caught by birds or raccoons or something. They were all over the place in that park. I only saw two live ones, though. I didn't scream when I saw the other one because it didn't startle me so bad.
Now, I dislike spiders I suppose, but I respect them, and they can make cool pets. I greatly admire the beautiful webs they weave, and the beautiful colors they can be too. And if a small one crawls on me, I'll let it explore a little before letting it go outside somewhere. It's mostly just the big ones that I don't like, I guess, and I never like them startling me, which they seem to be very good at doing. But I'm not one to heartlessly kill them just because I don't like them. That's just plain mean. :sadbendy: They eat mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry West Nile and Malaria. So spiders are our friends. :)
Scorpions though, no. Don't ask. I'm terrified to the depths of my soul of those things. No exceptions.
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