Fear Itself

Fear rules us all. It controls our lives. Sometimes it's in big, significant ways but more often, it's in the little routines and habits we've internalized to a point where we don't even realize how scared we are. Fear of being caught for doing something, fear of the consequences of not doing something, fears based on variables you can control... and those you can't.

People may say it's all in the mind, but it can also take on tangible forms. (I mean actual things, not the messed up stuff you see in horror movies). And what's the scariest and most omnipotent of them all? 

If you're thinking spiders, you're wrong (unless you have arachnophobia, in which case I totally empathize because I'm on a similar track). 

It's cockroaches. Particularly flying cockroaches.

The ones that can't fly are not terrifying to me any more. Over the years, I've learnt to suck it up and smack the damn hellspawn with a shoe. But if they can fly, that's a completely different story. It's a horrifying nightmare straight out of hell. Nay, more like pure hell itself. Here's a comparison to show just how bad it is:

Just like some people don't cry when they're sad because they think it makes them look weak, I try to be as brave as possible when faced by a flying cockroach. I may not scream (too loudly) when I see one. This is mostly because I'm worried that people will call me a baby. And that I'll then hit them for teasing me about a very real fear (but not before they've killed the cockroach for me, obviously).

P.S. I may or may not believe everything in the Bible, but I totally blame Noah for this.