What are you afraid of?

Posted on by Kent Priestley

I grew up with the book Some Things are Scary, written by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Jules Feiffer.

Each page features a potentially terrifying scenario for young kids — “Getting hugged by someone you don’t like,” “Holding on to someone’s hand that’s not your mother’s when you thought it was,” “Stepping on something squishy when you’re in your bare feet” — and a picture of children suffering the throes of that terror.

It’s easy to believe that the world is a scarier place than it was when the book came out in 1969, but many things haven’t changed. Monsters still lurk under our beds and slugs still move across our lawns at night, lying in wait for our bare feet. And grown-ups still push us too high on the swing-set, especially when they’re doping.

So, in this of all seasons, what scares you? Clowns? Close talkers? Raw chicken? Foreign despots? The check-out line at the Super Wal-Mart? Multidrug resistant Staph?

Let us know, or we’ll hug you.

— Kent Priestley, staff reporter

 

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22 thoughts on “What are you afraid of?”

  7. Steve Shanafelt

    Having to “ghostride the whip” to the satisfaction of any number of hair-gelled cruisers at the Patton Ave. Kmart parking lot, lest my life be forfeit. The very idea gives me the cold sweats.

  11. Steve Shanafelt

    Bugg: C’mon, dude! I’m plenty smug.

    Also scary: Deadlines for stories you never wanted to write in the first place; spelling bees; actual bees; and the coffee at Denny’s.

  12. Orbit DVD

    Until last night, nothing.

    After last night, I’m now afraid of guys in wheelchairs rolling into my store yelling “Hallelujah!” and babbling disjointed quotes from Proverbs.

    marc

  15. Johnny D.

    Never factually happened to me, though I feel somewhat of a PTSD since that night I dreamt about it and woke up soaked in my own sweat… They fiercely chased me dressed in hippy fashion and wanted to make compost out of me.

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