Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Phobic

I do tend to be frightened of spiders. They give me this vague panicky feeling that I think subliminally I knew could be uncontrollable if I were really threatened by a spider, however since I always stay far away from them it just existed as a hovering heart racing feeling.

And then one day I was sitting in a car with my husband and child and a daddy long legs crawled up my side. That was horrible enough, but then - it dropped down onto my seat and I lost track of it.

And I freaked out.

Yes - I was told as a child that daddy long legs have fangs (fangs for heavens sake) that are too small to bite humans, and I was in a moving car, and I am an adult and should be able to handle something like that.

BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS, and it could have easily been crawling ON ME.

So I commenced crying and hyperventilating and basically making a bit of a fool of myself.

Aaron pulled over as quickly as he could and I lept out of the car, and yes, the thought of stripping my clothes off briefly crossed my mind. luckily the spider was on the seat, was quickly brushed to the asphalt, and stepped on. I'm ashamed that the stepping on had more to do with my need to dominate it than with its actual threat to me at that point.

All told there were 5 daddy long legs riding with us in the car that day, one which I found on my head rest after getting out of the car after a 10 minute drive. Gulp.

Note: The spiders came from the wood we bought at one camp site and drove to another...don't ever, ever do that.

Note #2: Lest those readers familiar with the delicate daddy long legs of the southwest think I am a total wuss, this is what Daddy-Long-Leg spiders look like in upstate NY.

5 comments:

Jamie said...

5?!? That's a huge number of daddy long legs in one confined space. I'm not a huge fan of spiders either. Mice are my thing. Eeewwww. Eeewwww. Eeeewwww!!!

Anonymous said...

In Emily's defense that was a prettty vicious looking spider, and it seemed like all five could sense her fear and headed for her. Thankfully Tessa was spared. I can't believe she didn't tell about the one that crawled across my face after we went to bed, I grabbed it, thinking it was a mosquitto, then turned on the flashlight and almost freaked out, then squished it. good post Em! Aaron

indeazgirl said...

Yep. I would've freaked right out. As if they ALL had to pick your headrest for a resting spot!!! (And Aaron's face for hiking!)

Crystal said...

That is a SERIOUSLY VICIOUS looking spider. However, I would recommend that if you find anymore, throwing them in a fire makes a satisfying "pop" sound when they explode. :) talk about domination :)

LaQuejadora said...

HAHAHA...I should probably stop laughing because if the insect had been a BEE our stories would have been virtually identical. Except I probably would have stripped....