This week, I’m hosting “I must confess” as Kirsty from My Home Truths has some blogging time out and I’m talking my biggest fear. A fear that has become that big that I possibly should be calling it a phobia and looking for a support group.
Growing up, as far as I can recall, I never had any fears, lots of worries but no real fears. It’s only since meeting Mr C and having kids that some of those worries have turned into full blown fears. Today though, I’m touching on just the one fear and it’s a biggy. I’ve been known to break out in a sweat, gasping for air……
I must confess, I actually don’t have any real issues with spiders. Like most people in Australia, I’m not fond of funnel webs or red back spiders BUT you won’t find me burning the house down if I find one inside. Mr C on the other hand has a complete phobia of all spiders. When I recently read the headline…. Man tries to kill spider and ends up burning his down, I went through the house and hid the matches before calling pest control.
How times haven’t changed. I remember our first week of moving in together where Mr C was working late one night and ten minutes before he arrived home I spotted the biggest huntsman spider, inside above the front door. I didn’t have the height factor or a ladder/chair in reach. So I sat nearby, not wanting to take my eye of the beast, knowing my knight in shining armour would arrive home soon and take care of what I thought were manly matters.
Of course the minute Mr C walked through the door and I said “Thank goodness you’re home”, he quickly turned as white as a ghost and said “I hope it’s not a spider” before spotting said spider and running off in to the darkness (Mr C not the spider). In the end I ‘manned up’, retrieving and relocating both the spider and eventually Mr C.
This was the first of many spider related mishaps over the years and I now find myself with a personal fear of my own. Not spiders as such but being in the room or car (especially the car) with Mr C if there is a spider around. Not wanting to recall all the near death spider experiences over the years, here are the worst top three:
- Spider on the outside of the car window. Mr C in driver’s seat. We are stationary, about to leave a car park with no traffic in sight. Mr C screams “I’m not panicking” and somehow spins the car 180 degrees. We survive in one piece, so does the spider, my nerves are shot.
- Spider is on the inside of the back window of the car, just above our 3 under 3 girls all strapped into their car seats. Mr C is driving and spots the spider. Immediately pulls over, almost off the side of a very high cliff. Demands I need to get out on cliff side and climb around and deal with ‘it’. I remove spider, manage to calm girls, not fall off the cliff. Mr C not happy with the relocation of the spider, convinced it will jump back on the car, proceeds to partake in what my girls now refer to as the ‘huntsman jig’ in an effort to kill or possibly scare off the spider without really going anywhere near it.
- Another huntsman spider, only this time round I arrive home to find Mr C has outsourced the job of catching and releasing to our middle daughter who was two at the time. Miss 2 was eagerly climbing the widow and wall with a container and Mr C was at the other end of the room, filling in bravery awards for her.
Over the years, I’ve become really good at undercover covert operations where I can catch, interview to find out where their friends are hanging out then release the spiders undetected by Mr C. There are still the odd occasions, especially in the car (even after pest control) where Mr C might spot one first. These days rather than being able to take control of the situation, I find myself in a full blown panic attack.
If there was an official phobia of being in a space with someone that has a spider phobia when a spider appears, it would have my name all over. I’m now wondering if there is an official name for my phobia and if not what I could call it? Our middle daughter, now Miss 14, still has no fear of spiders and has been awarded a number of bravery medals over the years.
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Next week, Lisa from Button Brain will be hosting I must confess and the prompt is……
“What would your 18 year old self say to you? ” – would she roll her eyes or be impressed at your new dress sense, your career, your parenting?
– I Must Confess is a link up that runs every Monday and remains live for the whole week.
– You can link up something old or new, we’re not fussy around here.
– Feel free to go with the prompt for the week or add your own confession, whatever suits.
– Please go forth and share the comment love – it is bloggy crack after all!
You should check out the bird-eating spiders – as big as your hand, and hairy! Amazing….I don’t mind spiders. I react worse to mice. I do that whole 50’s house wife thing, of jumping up on the couch. I got about 50 baits when we had a mouse in the house – it made me want to vomit, and I would jump every time I went near the oven, even when I’d not seen in, incase it suddenly ran out…thank god it left after 2 days…
I’m a bit like that with mice myself.
I have to say that I’m not scared of much but I am scared of SPIDERS! Mainly ones that can jump which those horrible Huntman ones do, I also hate cockroaches etc etc, any small bugs and I’m toast. But put me in a paddock with a big bull and I’m fine – go figure! x
How are you with snakes? We do geocaching as a family activity but we’ve had a few too many near misses with snakes. My daughter had a deadly dugite pass directly under the water pipe she was standing on. She saw it coming and very calmly suggested her sisters and father who were on ground level make their way back on the bridge where I was standing. She waited to everyone was safe before moving away herself. Of course, I was in the least amount of danger and did nothing but freeze on the spot. We never did find that geocache, we suspect it was hidden under the water pipe and the snake was guarding it.
I’m okay with snakes, as a Kiwi I reckon they’re okay. I mean I can outrun one and they are big so they don’t bother me! Unless they try to get me, but really how often does that happen IRL?
LOL
Oh yuck! I hate hate hate spiders…When my 9 month pregnant with twins sister was staying with me awaiting the birth of the twinnies there was the biggest spider I have even seen that ran across the front of the tv cabinet. She screamed so loud and as quickly and delicately as she could jump up on the couch and I did the same…then the realisation sank in that she was not going to be able to come to my rescue and that I was going to have to come to hers…so with the biggest can of mortein in one hand and a shoe in the other I squealed like a girl and hunted that spider down!!! YUCK!
We go through so much insect spray in this house, well Mr C does, I’m beginning to think we should invest in the company.
I absolutely HATE snakes and I am a bit of a claustrophobic too. As for spiders, well I grew up in a bush area and they frequented my room a lot so I got used to them and just left them alone.
I’m not great with snakes either.
I don’t like spiders but am not TOO phobic. I am however VERY phobic about snakes and sharks and can’t even look at pictures of them!
I have issues with snakes and spiders as well but I can handle seeing pictures of them.
OMG this whole post gave me shivers! I’m much better with spiders now, but snakes scare the POO out of me. You can’t just squash those suckers with a book.
Yes, have to agree with you when it comes to snakes.
LOL at you getting a phobia over Mr C’s phobia! I am terrified of having my wisdom teeth taken out …
The number of times we have almost ended up injured or dead due to his phobia has most certainly given me a phobia. lol
OMG I am terrified of Spiders and thanks to that lovely first picture of yours that’s what I’ll be thinking about all day!!!! lol
I ummed and ahhed about that photo and had to tell Mr C not to visit the blog today.
Good on Miss 14 because I read somewhere phobias are often learnt behaviours from parents. I’m in the same category as Mr C and so is my husband so… any spiders around here… pass the matches and can of kero.
I’ve been worried about our girls picking up on his fear but so far no real issues and all my girls seem to love finding spiders and pointing them out to Mr C.
Ughhh Spiders! The only ones that don’t freak me out are Daddy Long Legs
Gosh, I haven’t seen a daddy long legs in years. We have had a redback spider on our lounge, just last year. Which reminds me, I really should book pest control for our annual spider spray.
I remember when I was in highschool, I was over my boyfriends place and him, his friend (also male) and I were hanging out in his room watching movies. I casually say, oh look there’s a spider. Cue high pitched squealing, a full can of bug spray being dispersed and the poor spider falling in a heap of white foam. After all of this, I was the one who had to pick it up and put it in the bin because neither of them would go near it in case it somehow miraculously came back from the dead.
LOL I can relate completely.
I love it! Thank goodness I have a husband who can handle spiders because I cannot! Good on you for taking the reins with the arachnids and thanks so much for hosting this week x
Any time Kirsty. I love a good confession! Hope you are enjoying your break. Any news on the job front?
An odd daddy long legs doesn’t bother me but huntsman spiders freak me out. As do cockroaches. Even though they’re harmless just the thought of them sickens me. *shudders*
I’m not great with cockroaches either.
I’m not really fussed by spiders, but I have noticed that I am happier to call someone else to deal with it than do it myself.
LOL I’m very much the same.
I share Mr C’s pain. Spiders are evil and bad and are best dealt with a thong being placed forcefully over their body. I’m normally not a violent man but with spiders I make an exception
Too funny Mark.
Lol…I do scream when I see spiders but can still get rid off them. Kinda have to when you live on your own! 😛 But a friend of mine had a similar experience in the car like you guys…her brother was driving and this huntsman decided to wake up and dropped down right in front of him and she still doesn’t know how they stayed on the road and survived!
I’m a nervous wreck in the car now if there is a spider.
Omg that first photo. Too much.
Sorry Heather.