Childhood Fears

Here's a list of my fears from ages 4 - 10. BTW, I was a pretty anxious, imaginative kid.

- My parents dying
- ET: it was the scene where he hid in the pile of dolls. Plus, that evil voice.
- Showers: I couldn't figure out how people breathe while taking showers
- Getting water in my ears while I took a bath: for years, I plugged my ears while I rinsed my hair.
- Drowning: Maybe in a past life I drowned? I had a ton of water related anxiety
- Losing my teeth: when I lost my first baby tooth, I went to my mom. She told me not to worry that I would lose all my teeth. So, I burst into tears because I didn't know the teeth would grow back.
- Walking home from school alone: a very embarrassing memory from kindergarten. I wound up crying in front of the whole class because I was so worried about getting lost.
- Taking off my training wheels: I had no trust in balance and just imagined breaking my arm without training wheels
- My kneecap falling off: I was a very literal child and took a nurse's comment literally
- Nuclear war: I grew up in the 80's and my family watched the news every night
- Dropping a baby on its head: I did this when I was 5 and I was screamed at by the Momma. Scarred me for life. Luckily, my cousin seems fine now!
- Speaking in front of class: In second grade, I was very shy and had a teacher who bullied me.
- My home burning down: GI Joe's "Knowing is Half the Battle" just gave me more ideas for my arsenal of worries.
- A shuttle blowing up over my town: Challenger related
- Breaking my 4th grade teacher's china figurines: I had a mentally ill teacher who kept dozens of china figurines on her desk. I did wind up breaking a figurine and I left the pieces on her chair with an apology note unsigned. She assumed it was my black friend who broke it. Oh yeah, she was a racist.
- My mom being paralyzed: my mom had a herniated disc when I was 10 and was bedridden for months.
- Getting my period: I hit puberty early. I was 5'1" in 5th grade and had breasts. I was a complete freak for my grade. So, my period would be the final nail in my coffin. It happened when I was 11 thank goodness!