Phobias

If you know me, you know I have some pretty intense phobias. One is mounted animals.
No, not that kind. This kind:
Not sure why. There is certainly some psychological reason for it, though. I've literally had to close my eyes and be lead through rooms before. As an adult.

My other phobia is heights - although generally only when hiking. I can look over Eiffel Tower edges and ride rides and drive over bridges. Twice I've wondered if I could make it. Once when bouldering with Anne in Yosemite, although I did later talk myself into repelling down a cliff. And, most recently, when hiking to Angel's Landing in Zion with Brent. I am literally paralyzed by fear.

Phobias are the weirdest things. There is nothing rational that makes them go away. I don't believe all that face your fears crap. There is no facing a phobia and winning. I've tried. You can ask Brent how nice I was while cursing and gripping onto a chain that was preventing me from falling off what I perceived as the edge of a cliff. And, you won't see me petting Bambi on a wall anytime too soon. The best you'll get is me in the same room and only if I know the mounted animal is there. None of this surprise-there's-a-swan-in-this-impossibly-small stairwell business. (Who mounts swans anyway?) Sometimes friends get to run reconnaissance missions before me into joints I've deamed "possible of having mounted animals." None of that, my friends, is rational.

One thing I'm not phobic of is snakes. For once, I get to look at something most shudder at and not blink an eye. I saw some really impressive ones at the zoo with my students last week (yes, we take 7th graders to the zoo) and I ran across two black snakes on my run last week.

Phobias: 2
Jessie: 1