I’ve always been terrified of spiders. When I was in second grade I watched Arachnophobia and slept with the lights on for a solid month. Not because I wanted to be able to see them coming, but because I was terrified I would be bitten by a tropical spider if I turned off my lamp.
If I had to pinpoint why I always hated them so much, it’s probably because they can come out of nowhere. One second you see this oddly shaped black blur and the next second it’s scampering across the living room floor. That’s my floor dammit! This is my house. Quit violating my sense of safety! If that wasn’t horrid enough, they can descend from the ceiling with their devil webbery like a creepy crawly SWAT team.
I will never watch Arachnophobia again. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets? Nightmares. The Hobbit? Vommit. IT? Dead. They’re just a night terror waiting to happen.
Since living alone, I’ve had to suck it up and either learn to kill them or cohabitate. If they’re big enough I will scream like a child and find the strength to kill it. As for the slightly less intimidating arachnids, I’m learning to dare I say respect them? They eat whatever bugs try to make their way into my garden apartment and they tend to keep to themselves. There’s this one spider right outside my front door that I have labeled my spirit animal. She (clearly it’s a she) has left another dead spider sitting in her web. Instead of wrapping it up or eating it she has chosen to leave him (clearly a him) there while she chills next to him almost as if to warn the rest of the world “Do not F*** with me!” One could argue that she’s mourning the death of her spider lover, but knowing what I know about the insect world, dude didn’t see it coming.
I’m still pretty s*** your pants scared when I see a spider larger than a nickel, but all in all I’ve grown up quite a bit. I guess it’s ok to learn to respect something but still be frightened by it. Some things we can never really grow out of, but hopefully we can learn to grow from a little more each day. So, daddy-long-legs and itsy bittsy spiders, you’re welcome if you find your way in my home. As for you bigger guys, if you find your way into my home, know this; after two minutes of hysterics and several layers of paper towels cocooning my hand…you dead.
therealworldofkerri 