November 11, 2014

My Phobia

Here at The Midnight Society we talk a lot about fear. Some of us are afraid of clown, while others fear moving doll parts. What we haven’t talked about are phobias.

First of all, what exactly is the difference?

A fear is the response to a real and true threat. Fear is something you can overcome. Phobias are more intense, anxiety causing, and sometimes a extreme irrational fear of something that poses very little actual threat.

These little buggers aren’t so easy to get over.

I have a phobia and it’s called Lilapsophobia–fear of tornadoes/storms. While my husband is sitting on the front porch watching the brilliant light display happening in the sky, I’m watching The Weather Channel. I search for the orange and red on the map, trying to figure out the change of a tornado happening in our area.

Funny thing is…I live in Pennsylvania. THIS IS NOT TORNADO ALLEY!

In my head, I totally get it. I know right this second that tornadoes–although they do occur here–are rare in PA. During a storm, anything can happen. Once I actually woke the kids up and took them down into the basement because of a tornado warning. For me, I joke about having been a tornado survivor in a past life. I must have lived somewhere where severe storms were prevalent. I dream about seeing a huge, twisting, grey cloud coming for me.

Maybe this is just a Dorothy complex.

Maybe I’m trying to explain away this ridiculous fear I have. Sort-of. Once I did see the beginning of a funnel cloud while I was driving on the highway. Talk about freaking out!!

But I’m lucky. This thing only kicks my feet out from under me when the sky turns dark and rage fills the heavens. It doesn’t rule my daily life. And…I’m trying to get over it. I fight the urge to check the weather every day, but when I do I look at the temperature. Look for rain. But never do I look to see about tornado activity. But when the sky rumbles, I can’t help myself.