Phobias
November 18, 2014, 8:57 pm
Almost all of us probably harbor some mild phobias…..fear of snakes, spiders, bats, large crowds, enclosed spaces, heights. The renowned biologist, Edward O. Wilson, notes that these phobias are shared by all cultures and can be traced back to times when prehumans lived outside in tribes. Encounters with wild animals and enemy tribes were frequent and “it was safest to learn fast, remember the event long and vividly, and act decisively without involving any rational thought.”
We are still hard wired to do exactly that, even though we no longer spend all our waking hours in the woods hunting and gathering. Consider this ironic example. Dr. Wilson is one of the world’s leading entomologists, the Honorary Curator of Entomology at Harvard, yet this bug guy admits to being “a mild arachnophobe.” He confesses that he will not touch large spiders in their webs.
I am an arachnophile. These creatures amazing ability to create seven different types of silk and weave intricate webs fascinates me. When a spider in our house needs relocating, I willingly volunteer for the task. And handling spiders and snakes when I taught children’s classes at the zoo presented no problems.
But I do have a phobia. Chickens. The zoo once asked me to feature a chicken in one of my classes. I immediately asked to be instructed in chicken wrangling techniques. I was given a fifteen minute lesson which left me pitifully unprepared. Fortunately, my volunteer helper for the class was a no nonsense retired schoolteacher and former farm girl from the U.P. I explained my plight to her. She had no chicken phobias whatsoever and happily volunteered.
The chicken was brought to the classroom from the zoo farm in a cat carrier. My wonderful helper opened the carrier and pulled out one extremely angry bird who started pecking, clawing and flapping simultaneously. With one miraculous maneuver, this expert let that chicken know who was boss.
Someday, I would like to overcome my chicken phobia. But for the moment, I’m content to buy my eggs from the grocery store.
6 Comments for this entry
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Greetings and welcome...
The Suitcase Lady Blog is now in its thirteenth year. I am obviously a believer in these words from E. B. White. "We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." Thank you for reading the writing that I delight in doing.
Posts
November 18th, 2014 on 9:19 PM
I do not like to explore places where spiders are as large as small pets.
November 18th, 2014 on 9:27 PM
Sunday at the Milwaukee art Museum, we happened upon a rather large spider hanging from the ceiling. So large in fact that i thought it was one of those microphones hanging from the ceiling. Luckily I was in the elevator and the doors shut before I was to investigate.
November 18th, 2014 on 9:28 PM
before I was tempted to investigate.
November 19th, 2014 on 10:04 AM
I just killed a centipede.
November 19th, 2014 on 10:06 AM
Left turns bother me a lot.
November 19th, 2014 on 10:07 AM
And I was once attacked by our pet chicken, Henry. Well, yes, I had been teasing it. I jumped on my bike and it followed me for half a block.