WHAT SCARES YOU?

[Duchess]

I was just reading about the kids in the concert hall in France. Some of them hid in the band's dressing room and the terrorists discovered them and killed them all but one. I've never known the kind of fear they felt. I get scared when tornadoes are around and I get scared driving the Beltway and I-95 but that's because so many people don't pay attention behind the wheel. What scares you?

[Mohammed]

My dick falling off. I think if that would happen all of a sudden, it would seriously scare the shit out of me!

[username]

The usual. Something really bad happening to one of my kids

After that, I'd have to say the process of dying. I get that we're all gonna go but I fear the manner of my demise. I want it to be quick and preferably in my sleep. Cancer scares the fuck out of me.

[HairOfTheDog]

My ability to hold it together when my mom dies. I still have a hard time with my dad's death all these years later. Other than that, I don't have any fears.

My dad told me a few times that he wished I had a reasonable dose of fear, though he worried least about me (he had 4 daughters) taking care of myself in any situation. He never tried to discourage me from traveling alone and taking a lot of risks when I was young, but sometimes I sensed he worried a little more than he let on.

My niece, on the other hand, is afraid of everything. She worries about dying, flying, other people dying, things that go bump in the night... She's 20 now. When I go out of town for a few days, every light in the house is on when I get home, and she can't sleep because of the noises in this old house. On the plus side, she calls me a lot when I'm away and is glad to see my nagging ass when I get home.

[BigMark]

[HairOfTheDog]

Whenever I watch South Park, Randy Marsh (one of my favorite characters) reminds me of Maggot.

I'm actually not an inherently good nagger. BUT, my niece would be fine to let the dishes pile up for weeks, never scrub the toilet, change her cats' litter box once a month... It wouldn't bother her a bit.

So, since she moved in here, I've gotten pretty good at riding her ass and earned my annoying nagger stripes, I guess.

[Midwest Spy]

HotD, how did your niece living with you come to be?

[HairOfTheDog]

I love my baby sister, but she's very image-conscious and self-centered. My niece is pretty edgy and doesn't give a shit about what anybody thinks. They were clashing a lot and my niece also wasn't thrilled with my sister's third husband (since divorced).

Anyway, my niece hated the idea of leaving her little sister (she was 4 at the time), but had no problem whatsoever with leaving her little brother who's 3 years younger than she -- they fought like cats and dogs.

So..........they thought that San Francisco with Aunt HOTD might be a good change of pace for like a year and I said what the hell. Well, she's never going back, she says. The first year, she visited Southern California three times. Now, she's working for me and another part time job (on break from school for a year) and likes it here way more than the So Cal suburbs. She hasn't wanted to go back down for a visit this year. But, she talks to her mom and her siblings on Facetime a couple of times a week and she and her brother are actually much closer than they were, despite (or maybe because of) the distance.

[Midwest Spy]

Thanks for the background.

It's fun watching kids mature into young adults.

[HairOfTheDog]

Tit for tat, MS.

What scares you?

(Aside from black kids with toy guns, Muslims, evil assault rifles, not getting into heaven, and erectile dysfunction.)

[BigMark]

What SoCal suburb?

[HairOfTheDog]

It's in northern Orange County, Biggie.

[Midwest Spy]

Tit for tat, MS.

What scares you?

(Aside from black kids with toy guns, Muslims, evil assault rifles, not getting into heaven, and erectile dysfunction.)

I only fear that my kids will one day turn into Packer fans and we'll be permanently alienated.

[BigMark]

If it's not Santa Ana that area is nice.

[sally]

Something happening to one of my kids. For a parent that's the worst thing and something very hard to live with. I'd rather suffer for years with debilitating throat and salivary gland cancer.

[HairOfTheDog]

If it's not Santa Ana that area is nice.

It's a nice area.

I worked in Santa Ana for 4 years. I didn't mind Santa Ana (except the traffic on the 55 in the morning), but it's not one my favorite cities either.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Usual stuff I guess, something happening to the kids or grandkids.
Not looking forward to the day when the in laws check out, or the dog for that matter, gonna be a bad many days here.
She never had kids and in an only child herself. So the dog has been kid and grandkid for them.
She is herself disabled, so I really worry about something happening to her when they go, they are late 80's but healthy

[username]

My ability to hold it together when my mom dies. I still have a hard time with my dad's death all these years later. Other than that, I don't have any fears.

I call bullshit. Just as one example (and there are many), if you were diagnosed with ALS tomorrow you'd be fearless? Or in the military conducting some dangerous operation...no fear?

Some fears are quite healthy. The types of fears where we're walking down a dark alley or parking lot and we have our finger on 911 or our mace just in case.

No fear. Hrumph.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's not bullshit.

If I was diagnosed with ALS tomorrow, I'd be very scared. But, I don't have ALS and I don't have a fear of getting it.

If I was in the military in an uncertain situation, I don't know if I'd be scared. Probably; it would depend on my training and experience. But, I'm not in an uncertain military situation and I don't fear that I will ever be in an uncertain military situation.

The alley or parking lot scenario is a more plausible one, but still kind of remote for me. I've never had my finger on 911 or owned mace. And, I don't find myself going into what I consider shady dark alleys or shady parking lots these days. If I had to do that, for some reason, I might be scared. I'd probably carry a knife and mace. But, I don't have to do that now and I'm not fearful that I'll have to do that later.

I didn't say that I don't get afraid in certain situations, French Fry. I do. But, right now, I can't think of any fear associated with something that I know is going to happen, except the one I mentioned. And, I don't worry and stress over the unknown or have any phobias or anything.

Well, I did just think of one thing that scares me; potentially losing my teeth. I hope I always have my natural teeth. I kinda fear seeing my teeth in a jar and having to put my teeth in.

[Maggot]

Every year I slip on ice or snow, no matter how hard I try to be careful I always wipe out. Not knowing when bugs me and it happens when I'm not thinking about it. My back is starting to throb already just thinking about it.