Nothing to fear but fear itself

Since Halloween is coming up, I thought I'd write about some things that scare me. I hope this doesn't incite any rage or cause a negative backlash among those of you who get upset about talking up the holidays too early. I figured since it was October, I was safe.

I am a wuss...I'll be the first to admit it. Fear can be a very debilitating emotion. I am afraid of almost everything. Some rational, some not so rational but still scary nonetheless.

The fear at the forefront lately has been dogs. Now I know they are supposed to be warm, loving and cuddly but I see them as vicious beasts who exist solely to torture me. I am terrified of them. Big dogs, little dogs, nice or mean...it doesn't matter. I do not provoke them, taunt or tease them. I just try to keep my distance. I had multiple bad experiences with dogs as a child and have not been able to overcome this fear. They cause me to freeze up completely and have a major case of anxiety.

Last night I was confronted by the mother of all beasts. Big is an understatement. This dog was the dog from The NeverEnding Story. She outweighed me by about 50 pounds. So basically, I freaked. This angered Cujo, who jumped on me and barked in my face, and proceeded to make me cry.

Other random fears...falling off of a bridge, public speaking, the dentist and the fact that pictures like this exist of me...

and I was sober.