New Topic, Week of the IDES!

This topic will carry us through Spring Break. The next topic will go up on the Sunday before school starts again, which will be March 29. This is a great time to catch up on your blogs, and especially on your comments: remember that each of you must post two comments per topic.

New Topic: Fear

We're reading Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar, which is largely about fear: the conspirators fear Caesar, Brutus fears what Caesar may become, Caesar fears nothing -- but if he could fear, he would fear Cassius. Fear runs through the rest of the play as a major theme -- mainly because it is such a large part of the human experience.

So what are you afraid of? I am particularly looking for irrational fears, those visceral things that terrify you for no good reason, which we often call phobias. Though of course, if you would like to blog about what scares you for perfectly good and rational reasons, feel free; one of the goals of blogging is to have a public outlet for emotions, and fear is an emotion that often needs an outlet.

Here's what I'm irrationally afraid of, in order:
1. Drowning. My worst phobia (Though I can't say I have hydrophobia, since that's an alternate term for rabies, and though I may sometimes foam at the mouth, I'm not rabid, as far as I know.). I am terrified of smothering, of not being able to breathe, and the ocean represents the greatest chance of that happening. I hate movies that show people drowning, I don't like swimming in rough water or going out on small boats. I can swim, and I like walking on the beach -- but you can keep the water. It's just too bad I love pirates so much. But maybe I could be like these guys.
2. Guns. I have a very healthy, intelligent, and rational fear of guns in the hands of people that shouldn't be allowed to have them or use them or point them at me, but I also have a serious fear of guns and what they represent and how they affect the people that have them and use them, even the most rational, capable, careful people. I would be very much happier if all firearms simply went away -- especially if people voluntarily gave them up and turned them into Hot Wheels. Because Hot Wheels are cool, yo.
3. Moths. I hate 'em. They are after me. They like to fly right into my head, particularly my mouth and my eyes, and they love to get tangled in my hair. You should see me when the little suckers get into my house: I'm like a 1950's housewife standing on a chair and screaming because there's a mouse in the kitchen. Except I'm much more enraged and violent.

What do you fear?