I find it ironic that the day that we are watching the most incredible rescue taking place in Chili that it is also Face Your Fears Day. What are the chances that thirty-three men stuck in the ground for sixty-nine days would not only be rescued but be rescued alive? Personally, it would scare me to be underground. I have Taphophobia which is the fear of being placed in a grave while still alive. As each miner is rescued I celebrate them and their strength. The spirit and courage each one of the miners show as they are rescued is truly inspirational and heartwarming. I wish them and their families only the best and that the miners live rewarding healthy lives from now on. May they overcome all their fears.
Now since this is Face Your Fear day the rest of the blog is about fears. Before reading the following article I didn't know Arachibutyrophobia was the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth and can be treated with psychotherapy, relaxation or medication. Did you know that?
http://hot.aol.com/2010/10/13/its-national-face-your-fears-day/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl9%7Csec1_lnk3%7C177226
Do you know what hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is? Ironically it is the fear of long words.
Do you have athazagoraphobia I sometimes fear being ignored, forgotten, or forgetting.
I often avoid the number 666 does that mean I have Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia?
While I don't have Nomophobia I can't help but wonder if a lot of people in today's world fear being out of mobile phone contact.
I am pretty sure I don't have Keanuphobia because I've been to several Keanu Reeves
movies.
When I was in my self-discovery period being wild in the Los Angeles area there were some people that would swear I suffered greatly from cenosillicaphobia, the fear of an empty glass.
I am working hard on overcoming Aviophobia, the fear of flying, but I love clowns so take that coulrophobia. I hope if I someday need an operation my doctor doesn't suffer from ergasiophobia, the Surgeon's fear of operating.
Inspired by the rescued Chilean miners I am off to face my fears. What are you fears? Which ones would you like to overcome? Do you suffer of any of the fears mentioned today?
WAY TO GO CHILI!
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1893 as the daughter of Danish immigrants. I grew up Chicago and later began a teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse outside of the city. I attended college during the summer at the University of Chicago, studying botany and ecology. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa. As a scientist I worked as a staff naturalist. I produced scientific studies as well as flower and tree identification guides. I authored several books and guides that helped nonscientists to interpret the landscape. I described places ranging from backyard gardens to the Indiana Dunes to the Rocky Mountain timberline. I extended my knowledge of the natural world to the public in a column I wrote and also had an educational horticulture program on public television. I led efforts to establish the Illinois Prairie Path on an abandoned railroad line. Maybe when you are done READING THE LANDSCAPE you can continue on with READING THE LANDSCAPE OF EUROPE to help you answer the question, Who Am I?
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4 comments:
Taphophobia is a good new word to know. I don't dwell on it, but the thought of being buried alive is among the most horrifying of remote possibilities. Coincidentally with the massive effort in Chile, I just started reading Ken Follett's huge new book, FALL OF GIANTS, and there's a coal mine explosion in the early part of the book, in 1914. I wonder if miners now face many of the same risks depicted in the book, and also whether the mine owners shirk safety measures as they seem to have done then.
Arachibutyrophobia is a pretty funny one, which I can proudly assert I do not suffer from. I'm currently suffering from ergasiophobia (fear of work) as it relates to housecleaning, which I need to do before Friday because of guests arriving.
I do not suffer from hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which rather than trying to re-type, I cut and pasted here. Nor do I seriously suffer from any of the others you mention, except perhaps nomophobia if I'm alone and driving at night. Not that I use my cell phone, but knowing it's there is reassuring sometimes. In general, I'd say I'm not a fearful person, except for the distant and lurking fears we all have of disease and incapacity. The thing is not to dwell on those, I guess.
Hi Pat
I love your response.
It is kind of eerie that you were reading Follett's book with a coal mine explosion. I'm guesser the miners face the same kind of things they did in 1914 but with better equipment. Being skeptical I doubt if the employers have gotten any better at providing new safety measures.
Ergasiophobia is hard enough to type let alone the fear of long worrds. I don't much like housekeeping either. But I am sure by Friday you house will look stunning for your guests.
Having a cell phone combined with AAA is reassuring and I'm glad I have both whenever I'm on the road.
I also think you shouldn't dwell on any fear because the dwelling on it usually makes it worse.
Bill
The rescue of the Chili miners is an absolute miracle. I can't imagine how they managed to survive for as long as they did and am so glad they're now all above ground. I wonder how many of them will continue mining? And, like Pat, I wonder if safety conditions are a whole lot better in some mines than they were fifty years ago. One certainly hopes so.
Fears. I'm not even going to try to type out all the impressive words (g). I may have mild nomophobia, in that I do feel more comfortable having me cell phone with me, in the event of an emergency or accident.
I'm afraid of -- maybe it's better to say am uncomfortable with - dental visits, which goes back to long hours in the dental chair as a child and an overactive gag nerve reflex as an adult. I'm afraid of any snake I can't immediately identify as a garter snake or black garden snake. Afraid of stinging insects, due to my allergy to same. Afraid of heights. Put me at the edge of any kind of drop-off, even if I'm in a car, and I have the feeling I'm falling over it. Two story escalators, lots of steps, I feel I'm going to fall down them. Has something to do with lack of equilibrium, resulting from a car accident many years ago, or so they tell me. Funny thing, put me in an airplane or hot air balloon, no fear, not even discomfort. Go figure.
It may be a matter of semantics, but I think I'd classify other issues as concerns, not actual fear.
I agree with both you and Pat that dwelling on fears only makes them worse. I don't spend time thinking about the fears, but am quick to (over?)react when faced directly with one. I'm working on overcoming my overreaction to stinging insects. I figure the fear of poisonous snakes is probably healthy (wry s). I'm getting a bit better about dental app'ts, which is largely due to a wonderful, understanding dentist and hygienist.
Hi DR
There are three words to describe what you have. The simple one, Dental Phobia. The the other two
Dentophobia or Odontophobia.
The Chili Miners story is incredible quoting an article on Yahoo "No one in recorded history has survived as long trapped underground. For the first 17 days, no one even knew whether they were alive." That certainly meets my definition of a miracle. The same article say that riches and fame are in the men's future as they tell their stories and none of them will ever have to mine again.
I think we all have minor nomophobia.
I think your take of uncomfortable vs. fear is right on. I'm not ever going sky diving but I'm not really afraid of heights. I have no problem with elevators or skyscrapers. I like restaurants in the very top of buildings. I do get uncomfortable standing at the edge of a mountain. Concerns vs fears is another good analogy.
Stinging insects are something to overreact to in my book, for a number of reasons including allergies to bee stings.
Bill
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