No Fear

Remember the slogan, ‘No Fear’? It used to be everywhere–shirts, folders, posters. Well, it was thirty years ago, so maybe not. For me, that was only yesterday.

Scary Stories

Once my bulldog Clemmy was sniffing around when the neighbor dropped a rake. Clemmy jumped in the air and ran back to safety. She’s terrified of rakes, brooms, blowing leaves, and other dangerous things. Did I mention that her full name is Clemmy the Brave?

My youngest grandson went through a phase of being scared of monsters. So much so that, when I pretended to be a monster, he asked me to stop. His cousin agreed. With a trembling voice, he told me, “just be Grammy.” At least, their wonderful parents taught them to express what they’re feeling.

Adult Fears

Of course, we adults aren’t afraid of anything, right? Wrong! According to the all-knowing Internet, over 10% of us are scared of spiders, snakes, heights, flying, dogs, storms, injections, crowds or open spaces, germs, and social interactions. I’m willing to speculate that it’s a LOT more than 10%.   Other places mention fear of public speaking, driving, failure, or death. Any of you readers unable to identify with at least one of these?

Personally, I hate heights. I’ll drive a long way to avoid a flyover. If my grandkids insist on climbing too high at the playground, I make up a reason why we have to leave. And I close my eyes if someone on the TV is hanging out a window. Give me a snake any time!

My mother hates empty refrigerators. In fact, when she lived alone, she had two. They were both full. Why? She lived through WWII, but you’ll have to read the book to find out the details.