Childhood Fears

[Dr Doran]

Stairs without railings: +1.

If they also don't have the vertical part and you can see through to the floor, I won't go on them even now.

 

[rumblefish]

Being left somewhere.
I think I still have this fear, though more figurative than literal now. I have a dream about it every now and then, to remind me of it.

 

[Geiamama]

Okay, so I have this teddy bear that my grandfather bought for me in communist cuba in 1960 right when I was born.

I took him everywhere with me, and when I was little (about age 5 to 9 or so), my Dad would get my bear from me when I slept and put him all over the house doing stuff so I'd find him when I woke up. He'd be at the table with a snack, in the bathroom brushing his teeth, sitting somewhere reading, and once when I was naughty, Pancho the bear was at the front door with a little napsack as though he was leaving because I was bad.

I really thought that bear came to life and thus, I am afraid of stuffed animals coming to life, or worse yet, crazy dolls (think Barbarella). I still have him to this day and he sits on my dresser and sometimes I just wonder what he does when I'm asleep!

Also, clowns and nuns. Don't ask.

I can completely relate. I am petrified of clowns, especially those little porcelain ones that people seem to insist on collecting, even to the point that I can't stand masks because they kinda remind me of clowns. It's a childhood fear because it started back when I was a little girl. I ws asleep in the top bunk and my brother stuck a HUGE poster of 'it' on the ceiling above me so that it was the first thing that I'd see when I woke up.

I also have a fear from childhood from horses after one ran off with me on it back clinging on for all I was worth and nuns. My paternal grandmother had a bit of a twisted sense of humour and would tell me that if I misbehaved the nuns would come and whisk me away. I know as an adult I should know better but every time I see a nun in a habit I start to breathe that bit harder.

 

[Celia Crowson]

I was scared of a few things as a child - the first is sharks.
I used to be a 'water baby', my mother could not get me out of the water when we were at the beach (she used to try and bribe me with what was for lunch - but never worked). Then one day I saw the movie JAWS and well that was the end of my water baby days. This is the one thing I am still scared of - a primal fear - and I still have not gone back to the beach to swim.

The second thing was that there was someone under my bed - my sister would make me turn the light off (we didn't have a bedside lamp and my bed was on the furthest side). So I would turn the light off and run to my bed, and my sister would yell 'their's someone under the bed' and I would cry...not nice.

And the third thing was the 'Brick in the wall' music video by Pink Floyd. It used to really freak me out - especially the walking hammers and the mincing machine. My brothers used to play it all the time.

Also, I guess it doesn't help when one has an overactive imagaination as well.

~Amanda~
Australia

 

[lolly_loisides]

If they also don't have the vertical part and you can see through to the floor, I won't go on them even now.

There I was thinking I was the only one that did that! Makes me feel dizzy when I walk up those kind of stairs.

 

[flat-top]

Stairs without railings: +1.

If they also don't have the vertical part and you can see through to the floor, I won't go on them even now.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

When I was little I'd have two recurring nightmares. The first was my granny's cat Yamadori walking into a fire. I was quite scared of fire in general, but I have no idea why that one came about - we had our own cat and I never had a dream about her doing that!

The second was about the cartoon film the Last Unicorn. There's a bit where a skeleton on a clock drinks some wine and his eyes glow red and he starts shouting, and it absolutely terrified me! And the Red Bull featured in scary dreams about that film too:

 

[Dr Doran]

That is truly hideous. I love it.

 

[Dr Doran]

I can completely relate. I am petrified of clowns, especially those little porcelain ones that people seem to insist on collecting, even to the point that I can't stand masks because they kinda remind me of clowns. It's a childhood fear because it started back when I was a little girl. I ws asleep in the top bunk and my brother stuck a HUGE poster of 'it' on the ceiling above me so that it was the first thing that I'd see when I woke up.

My father was a professional clown! This was in addition to his academic career as a professor. He got into magic in about 1980 and started doing magic shows in Beverly Hills at private birthday parties for good money. He joined the Magic Castle in L.A. For $20 extra he would don a clown costume complete with makeup.

So clowns don't scare me. I like them. I like masks too.

 

[Geiamama]

My father was a professional clown! This was in addition to his academic career as a professor. He got into magic in about 1980 and started doing magic shows in Beverly Hills at private birthday parties for good money. He joined the Magic Castle in L.A. For $20 extra he would don a clown costume complete with makeup.

So clowns don't scare me. I like them. I like masks too.

I had a favourite English lit teacher in school who was also a professional clown. He came into school wearing his full 'get up' once and I burst into tears! Bless him he was trying to comfort me but the closer he got the more I freaked out. He felt so guilty the poor guy.

It was clowns that set me off into labour with my son Dylan. I was walking through town, turned a corner and there were about twenty collecting money for charity. When they saw that my waters had broken (tres embarrassing) they all rushed around me to try and help and all I was trying to do was get them to go away!

It's a real shame though. I really wish that I could take my kids to the circus or out for Halloween instead of leaving it to my husband.

 

[Brooksie]

Being left somewhere.
I think I still have this fear, though more figurative than literal now. I have a dream about it every now and then, to remind me of it.

YES! I had/have this fear too. Ever since I was a child I have had this fear of being left somewhere or getting separated. I think I may have that fear because I was adopted but I am not sure of course.

I still have this fear now when I am with others that they may leave me somewhere. In 2005 one of my worst fears (this one) actually did happen my ex-husband who is evil left me in a truck stop in El Paso Texas which is a long, long way from home (which was Portland OR).

Brooksie

 

[FinalVestige79]

I had this fear to....this reminds me of the story my Gramps told me about the monster under the stairs that would grab our ankles through the stairs and pull you in...

The phrase "My precious" from Lord of the Rings comes to mind here.

 

[Dr Doran]

In 2005 one of my worst fears (this one) actually did happen my ex-husband who is evil left me in a truck stop in El Paso Texas

WHAT A LUNATIC. Let's get all the Portland vintage boys together (Julie PDX can assemble some tough rockabilly types to help out) and stomp him.

 

[Brooksie]

WHAT A LUNATIC. Let's get all the Portland vintage boys together (Julie PDX can assemble some tough rockabilly types to help out) and stomp him.

I have not seen or heard from him since and I have know idea where he is even at right now for all I know he may be dead from rough living all these years.

Brooksie

 

[Dr Doran]

I have not seen or heard from him since and I have know idea where he is even at right now for all I know he may be dead from rough living all these years.

Brooksie

OK. No stomping .... this time.

 

[Dr Doran]

It was clowns that set me off into labour with my son Dylan. I was walking through town, turned a corner and there were about twenty collecting money for charity. When they saw that my waters had broken (tres embarrassing) they all rushed around me to try and help and all I was trying to do was get them to go away!

20 is too many! Even I would get freaked out. Especially if some were dwarfs.

 

[Diamondback]

WHAT A LUNATIC. Let's get all the Portland vintage boys together (Julie PDX can assemble some tough rockabilly types to help out) and stomp him.

Tim, Brooksie, numbers are not your friend for this kind of work--you want a single professional who knows what he's doing, and can get in and out clean. (Think like a "Mike Westen" from Burn Notice... unfortunately, I'm kinda lacking for those delightfully dry Jeffrey Donovan voice-overs in "Tradecraft 101". lol )

----------------
Now playing: John Williams - The Great Shark Chase
via FoxyTunes

 

[Dr Doran]

Tim, Brooksie, numbers are not your friend for this kind of work--you want a single professional who knows what he's doing, and can get in and out clean. (Think like a "Mike Westen" from Burn Notice... unfortunately, I'm kinda lacking for those delightfully dry Jeffrey Donovan voice-overs in "Tradecraft 101". lol )

I do like the episodes I've seen of Burn Notice, but the idea of hiring a professional is
unsporting
expensive
and
not viscerally exciting/fun.

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING.

Another fear I had: really weird-looking older (55+) people who were horribly ugly and acted strange. I don't know, but I feared them as a kid. I'd love an explanation.

 

[Diamondback]

I do like the episodes I've seen of Burn Notice, but the idea of hiring a professional is
unsporting
expensive
and
not viscerally exciting/fun.

Aww sure, invoke one of my fears: some spoilsport out to take my fun out of problem-solving. (You're right about "unsporting", but so's a 10-on-1 stompdown...)

----------------
Now playing: John Williams - The Well Of The Souls
via FoxyTunes

 

[scottyrocks]

Okay, I'm gonna pick one from the large bushel basket that was my childhood fear collection.

I used to dream, on a regular basis, that I would come home from probably school, and there'd be a different family living in my house. The place was decorated completely different, and the people that lived there couldnt understand why this little boy (me) was insisting that this is where he lived. They said they had lived there for years! I would go out front to check the address and it was my address. And I always became hysterical to the point that I had to go into my parents bedroom and make sure they were there. After a while, I could do it without waking them up.