I have some peculiar friends.
I was talking to a group of them the other night and the topic of irrational fears came up. One of my friends has a fear of buttons. I did a little research and discovered this is not so unusual. It has a name, Koumponophobia, the fear of buttons. I can’t imagine life without buttons! It would be almost like life without thumbs. Although I’m fairly certain I swallowed a button as a child and had someone turn me upside down and beat it out of me, I love buttons.
Another friend has a fear of standing water. Not large amounts like on a road or under a bridge but water in a dishpan or bathtub. Her logic is water is fluid and should be moving. Showers are good, bathtubs with water, not so much.
I know other people with irrational fears that are more common and understandable. I know grown men who squeal like little girls at the sight of spiders, even the harmless kind and I’ll admit I scream at the sight of any snake regardless of it’s stripes, but buttons? Really? What can a button do to you?
I remember when I was very young my cousins decapitated a doll. I was not only horrified at the very act but it scared me to near death. I think the doll was the hard plastic kind but it seems it had some kind of odd stuffing that just terrified me. I don’t think I have brought that fear into adulthood but then again, we take pretty good care of the dolls in this house.
I was also afraid of lizards but having little boys pretty much got me out of that. Once you’ve fished one or two out of the washing machine it’s over, besides, have you ever really looked into the face of a cameleon? They look like they are smiling and heck, who can resist that little gecko on the insurance commercials? One of my older children professed a fear of large hair. We thought that was pretty funny. I have come to realize there is also a fear of beards, its called pogonophobia.
I decided to look up irrational fears online. I was surprised at the extensive list of fears and phobias. Some are understandable and some are downright unbelievable. Here are a few that made me laugh out loud. Please forgive me if you suffer from any of these.
Metrophobia is the fear of poetry. Siderophobia is the fear of stars. Odontophobia is the fear of teeth and novercaphobia is the fear of one’s mother-in-law. Rhytiphobia is the fear of getting wrinkles and pantophobia is the fear of EVERYTHING!
After reading all these my friends don’t seem so peculiar after all. Just keep the buttons covered, the water moving and don’t put me in any rooms with headless dolls.