Fears and Phobias
October 15, 2004
One Large Sausage
My favorite food is pizza. It always has been. Golden brown crust, tomato sauce and stretchy mozzarella cheese. Thin crust, pan, stuffed, deep dish, any way you toss it, it's a slice of heaven to me. It may seem strange, then, that I haven't called and ordered a pizza myself in over a decade. One of the scariest things I can think of is calling and ordering a pizza. I have a severe case of pizza man phobia. It all started during my freshman year of college when some friends and I decided to put away the books, rent a movie, and order some pizzas. I took the phone and dialed the number. Read more.
Running from Nemo
I couldn't watch Finding Nemo in the theatres. I had to wait until it came out on video so I could hyperventilate in the privacy of my own home.
I know I'm not the only one who had a strong emotional reaction to this movie. I even know a couple of people who said the movie brought them to tears. They were parents whose children lived in far away places. They had every reason to be upset.
Read more.
Enter Insanity
What do you want to be when you grow up?
We've heard the question a million times. If you're like me you've given a million different answers. I've wanted to be an architect, zoologist, pharmacist, librarian, doctor, teacher, actress, country star, and heiress. But really, none of those things set me on fire. None of them made my heart jump like a girl who knows she's about to be asked out by the hottest guy in school. None of them would help me accomplish my heart's desire. Read more.
Help! I Need a Salad Shooter!
My husband likes to say that I'm afraid of fruit. That's ridiculous, I know, and of course it's not true. It's not a fear so much as a keen sense of uneasiness. Or, to use the vernacular, fresh produce just flat-out gives me the creeps. Read more.
We've Got Spirits, Yes We Do!
Do you believe in ghosts? Would your answer change if you witnessed firsthand odd occurrences that you just couldn't explain?
I have always believed in ghosts because of the things I saw and heard firsthand when I was young. The following incidents really did happen to me between the ages of five and fifteen. I won't lie and say I miss the Spirits that used to pull these mischievous pranks. I am glad to be ghost-free now; it's just so much less scary that way! Read more.
A Bridge Too High
by Julie Miller
It started when I was very young and my parents drove an old Volkswagen Beetle. At Christmas time we'd drive up through central North Carolina into Virginia and then over to the coast to spend the holiday with my grandparents. They were stationed at an army base there until I was about 4 years old. Unfortunately, this trip involved a Bad Bridge. The Bad Bridge made Bad Noises. Read more.
Military Wife
by Anna Piper
My head is filled with thoughts, tragic thoughts. They circle through over and over until they take a permanent place in my psyche and my body fills with anxiety. After all, I realize that one day I may end up alone; alone to raise my children without a father. Read more.
Confessions of a Worrywart
by Kisha Geijer
I'm a worrier.
More than that, I'm a multi-purpose worrier. I worry about terrorists, germs, hate crimes, duct tape, retirement, work, money, sleazy politicians and redneck neighbors. I worry about cancer, about heart disease, and not a day goes by that I don't worry about diabetes. I worry about leaving the water running when I brush my teeth, I worry about the abundance of Styrofoam in landfills, I worry about spiders lurking in my clothes. I've spent more time than you want to contemplate worrying that a Google search of my name returned, as the first hit, "My Penis Is Large Enough, Thanks" from the article I wrote on spam for the first issue of Mosaic Minds. You name it, I've worried about it. In fact, I worry about how much I worry. Read more.