weakness

I was just surfing on the net when I came across this list of fears that readers of the BBC magazine had submitted.

Some of them are truly irrational, but its not as if I don't have any loony ones of my own, so here's what I have to add.

When I was a toddler, I used to be truly terrified of sweets (really.. but I've got to admit its not everyday you get a kid that runs the other away when offered sweets). Not the boiled kind but more like fruit gums, especially if they are encrusted with sugar. The sight of those artifcially coloured sweets in all shades of the rainbow plus sugar crystals on them made me squirm.

I'd want to retch and then the crying starts. I must have bewildered all those poor grown ups who only just wanted to give me something to eat. Happily, I've since grown out of it and have been scoffing them eversince. I think the turning point came one day when I decided that those Rowntree hard fruit gums were no good since they always get stuck in my teeth. The sugary pastilles were softer (never mind the disgusting sugar) and since then, there has been no turning back.

I am also afraid of repeating patterns - no.. not like polka dots or anything. If its artificial, its ok, but not if its naturally occuring..honey combs for example, or the pits and bumps (must be uniformly shaped!) on the back of the Pipa toad. eeks. Hair's standing just thinking about it.

Deep. Breath.

So what are your fears?