Outside my apartment there's a little alcove/porch area, since every door opens to the outdoors and has it's own street number vs. having an apt. number within a building. It sucks beyond belief to go outside at night in the summertime for one reason and one alone...

Not the heat.
Not noisy neighbors.
Not Jr. Sonofabitch and his friends running and skating along the sidewalks.
Not even spiders or stray animals.

It's the moths.

I've got a hangup known as mottaphobia, which is the fear of moths. You can learn about common phobias in school, read a slew of phobias in books, or even entertain yourself with an occasional Maury show where they force phobic freaks to confront their irrational fears of shit like pickles, yarn, clowns, and mustard.

However you wanna look at it, though, phobias, although irrational and often brought on by objects that pose no danger, are real to those who experience them. This is why a myraid of phobic terms are recognized and classified.



They say phobias are due to age-old fears evolution has ingrained into our genetic makeup. Others say they're due to experiences in life. I'd personally like to believe the latter, as most common phobias don't concern me, such as snakes, spiders, heights, or enclosed spaces. But for some reason, moths are a completely baffling exception.

It's been that way since I was a kid, and probably the main reason I dread the fucking summer. Last night I go out for a smoke, and this monster moth is chillin' by the stairwell light. Of course, I couldn't enjoy my cig since I was anticipating this thing flying RIGHT for me. It's the same every time I encounter one, and my first summer at my complex, I slept in my car due to a massive, grotesque mothra perched by my door.

Phobias can rearrange a person's life, causing them to alter behavior and habit in a way that encroaches on their well-being and enjoyment - and almost everyone alive suffers from a phobia at one point or another. An otherwise perfectly successful and content individual can be burdened by any type of phobic response at any time, which is something professionals still try to work their minds around.

In the meantime, it's a fascinating subject to research and discuss, too. Perhaps I'll work in a nice list of common and uncommon phobias while on the theme. And although pics in blogs is one of my format specialties often emulated, it shouldn't come as a surprise if you don't see any showcased!!! o__O



P.S. - I think a good case in point is when you watch these Maury clips. Gotta love how these producers trot these people on stage and then ridicule their fears with blatant confrontation for viewer entertainment. Irrational or not, you'd never see this method with (and let's be honest, harmless) snakes, dogs, or cockroaches. Logically speaking they should push a guy with a bungee off a cliff or enclose someone in a 4 ft. box so I can laugh.