What Are You Afraid Of?



Yesterday, I was happily browsing round the local indoor-market when the sudden sounds of snorting and panting startled me. I looked in the direction of the sounds to see two very belligerent looking dogs on leads quickly coming towards me. As I jumped out of the way, I noticed that the owner of these dogs - a horizontally-enhanced middle-aged woman - was smirking at my obvious fear. This odious woman wasn’t content with just blatantly sneering at me, she decided to taunt me as well. Along with her dogs, she followed me around the market sneering and laughing at me whilst doing so with her - just as equally hateful - friend. I couldn’t get out of that market fast enough and when I did, I was shaking with both fear and anger. I was incandescent with rage at the pure callousness and insensitivity of these two women. No one loves animals more than we do. My husband has spent much of his life campaigning for the rights of animals, but one or two dog-owners can sometimes be a little too much. These puerile women may have found my fear of dogs hilarious, but I can guarantee that they too are not without fears.

I do not believe for a second that there isn’t anybody alive who isn't afraid of something. The most common fears are: death, illness, dentists, needles, heights, vomiting, snakes, spiders, etc. Then there’s the fear of losing a loved-one, losing your job or looking like a wally in front of your mates.

My fear of dogs developed after one attacked me when I was 8-years-old. I ran across the road to get away from the dog only to be knocked down by an oncoming car. Fortunately for me, I lived to tell the tale.

Some dogs have been known to bite people and cause serious physical injury. In some instances, dogs have even killed people. Common garden spiders do not perturb me that much, but my fear of dogs is far more rational than being afraid of a harmless garden spider that - to the best of my knowledge - hasn’t harmed anybody yet. However, I wouldn’t dream of laughing at or trivialising somebody else’s fear of spiders.

So next time, if you find yourself being laughed at because of your fears; ask the mocker or mockers what THEIR fears are. You never know, you might just make them think about how hypocritical they’re being.






Copyright Donna Antoinette 2005