To Be Unafraid

This week I've been thinking about things that we're afraid of. For instance, I'm afraid of snakes. The way they move, their fangs and their venom just scare me to death. I'm also reluctant to come out of a lit bathroom into a dark house (this due mostly to the fact that Josh has successfully managed to hide in the hallway and scare the crap out of me, many times. Nathan, my brother, was good at that, too. . .)

Claire is very easy to startle. All I have to do is sneeze, and she jumps a mile. She really doesn't like raised voices, either. Sometimes. if the dogs at Grandma's house get too close, she starts to cry.

Josh can be startled, but it is really not easy, and usually has to be a really unexpected situation. Like when I leave for work in the morning, if I forget something that I really have to have and I run back home for it, Josh really freaks out because he doesn't expect anyone. A couple of times, he's been ready to hurt an intruder, when he realizes it's just me. :o)

Ben is another matter. He is deathly afraid of the vacuum. One day, the breaker tripped in our house while Josh was vacuuming, and he left the vacuum on while he went out to flip the switch back on. Ben took the opportunity, while Josh was out, to investgate the vacuum up close. Unfortunately Ben was still inspecting it up close when the switch was flipped. Ihave never seen Ben jump as high or run as fast! He is still frightened of the vacuum. When it comes to animals, however, Ben knows no fear. He's not afraid of any dog, including Grandma and Grandpa Evans' dog, Stuffy, who is four times Ben's size, if not more. During Memorial Day weekend, we went to my Grandma and Grandpa Bartlett's house for a short stay. Grandma and Grandpa Evans came, too. Grandpa Evans decided to take Ben to a farm to help feed the calves. Grandpa Evans showed Ben how one calf would suck on his finger, just like he would suck on a bottle. Ben decided to try it himself, and put his finger out-- that calf sucked Ben's whole hand into its mouth!! Ben just pulled it out, looked at his slimy hand, wiped it on his shirt, and walked away. He has no fear of animals.

Now, whether these fears are rational or irrational, it is very strange how different they are from one person to the next. I hope someday I'll figure out why there are so many differences, and perhaps be able to be unafraid. For now, I'll just deal with them, and laugh the easy ones off. As for snakes, however. . .