Fear is a normal emotion that everyone will experience from time to time. Whether it’s walking through a haunted house or watching a scary movie– everyone has experienced it– but there are some people who have strange fears.
Almost every type of fear has a name– fear of spiders, arachnophobia; fear of clowns, coulrophobia; there’s even a word for being afraid of heights, acrophobia. However, alongside these phobias that cripple many people, there are fears that are strange or unreasonable and defy all logic.
Molly Jackson, a sophomore at Jacksonville High School says that she is afraid of narwhals; they haunt her dreams. When asked about this odd phobia she said, “They are just ugly, scary creatures.”
Miss Jackson isn’t the only student at Jacksonville High School that believes her own fears to be irrational. When asked, many others speak up about the subject.
Shelby Tribble, also a sophomore, says she has a fear of other people driving her around; it makes her feel out of control. Shelby, unlike most teenagers who love joyrides, hates it when friends or family drive recklessly.
Joe Hall, a junior, says he is afraid of a teacher here, namely, Mr. Robinson; however, he says it is more of a fear of the chemistry homework he assigns because even when he thinks he is doing everything right– it’s all wrong.
Another student, Lydia Beard who will be graduating as a junior this year says she is afraid of regretting choices she has made or will make– this fear is slightly unusual for someone her age because most teenagers are all about living in the moment and not worrying about the trouble they could get in. So good for you, Lydia, staying ahead of the game. Besides this, Ms. Beard fears not having enough condiments for her food and is afraid of not packing enough underwear when going on trips.
Fear is something we all must face and conquer, but when every day things are scary, it can become increasingly difficult to just live your life. Even though some phobias listed above may have real names, and most probably do, people still tend to feel self-conscious about their deepest, darkest fears.