I'm the kind of person that would like to face fears head on, but sometimes, I have those fears that just come up out of nowhere. What all I'm going to mention have in common is the root of these fears is thanatophobia or the fear of death.
Now I accept that death is inevitable. It's just something that happens. But the scary part is that I don't know how I'm going to meet my inevitable end. I'm nineteen, and I haven't even explored more than half the country yet! I hope I can do what I would like before I meet my inevitable doom. It would be even better to choose how I'd like to die, to avoid the ways I don't want my life to end.
1. All of my teeth would fall out
In cartoons, I can watch those scenes okay, but in real life, it's a bit terrifying to think about
I usually think about this fear whenever I'm at the dentist. I never liked going there; I especially despise those silver hook things they use to scrape your gum line with. I don't know how anyone else feels, but I don't like the feeling of metal hooks touching my teeth.
I don't know how inevitable this kind of fate is, but when it does, I hope it's only because I reach that age where I can't do much of anything and for no other reason.
2. I fall down, head over heels, down the stairs
Surprisingly, it's easier to forget this fear going up the stairs than it is going down. I don't know where this fear originated from, but I think the earliest moment would be my high school choir trip to Ireland.
On my Ireland trip, the steps were so narrow that I was cursing the fact the boots I was wearing were too big in comparison with the steps. I thought one wrong move, and I could get seriously injured. Thankfully, that was the only time I regretted wearing the boots, and I made it through the steps without a hitch. The rest of the trip went smoothly.
But if there's one thing I wish that trip hadn't given me, it was this fear of falling down the stairs and killing myself.
3. I'll be found in Alaska after years of going missing
I'll give Alaska this, the landscapes are pretty to look at, but even so, I would not want to be caught dead near Alaska. If I want to experience nearly-eternal winter, I'd spend that time in Chicago, or somewhere near a lake.
Why Alaska of all places? Well, let me tell you the story of a man named Alexander Supertramp. His real name was Chris McCandless, and he came from a high class family. He decided to ditch his life to live out in the wild lands of America. He eventually goes to Alaska, where sadly, he would never return from. His life and death would later be retold time and again, starting with the novel "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. But what gets me is one of the last photos taken of him:
Good lord, that looks unsettling. It's like looking at a ghost or something. I don't know if I want to give anyone that impression that I look half-dead while living the dream. If anyone asks me to go with them to Alaska, I'd go. But as for going there by myself, there's an unlikely chance of me actually going.
4. I'll be a part of a plane crash
This fear comes up whenever the plane experiences turbulence. I don't mind plane rides, but if the plane hits several bumps in the sky, you could find me mumbling several "Hail Mary's" in Spanish. When I do so, the turbulence starts to simmer down, so I like to believe my praying saved the lives of everyone on the plane but my own as well. It hasn't failed me yet, but until it does, I'm thanking my lucky stars I know two languages.
5. I'll dive in and never resurface
My thoughts exactly, kid
It's funny watching Mr. Bean go through the high dive, but I think that's only because of schadenfreude. For as long as I can remember, I never liked the diving board. I don't know why that is, but I never liked it. In swimming classes, it was mandatory to go off the diving board, but I would never want to go off it. The instructors would always have to drop me into the water.
6. I'll be in a burning building and no one would rescue me
How I would like to feel if it comes to pass
I remember learning about the Our Lady of Angels Fire in middle school. After sitting through what felt like an eternity listening to how innocent children and nuns suffocated and burned to death on that fateful day, I decided I didn't want to hear any more of it. It's one of those events where if they make a documentary about it, I can't watch it by myself; it would get me a little too freaked out (on a side note, I call it the James Cameron's "Titanic" mentality). Thankfully, learning about it did get me to start appreciating fire drills more than fear them.
At home, close to nothing ever happens, and there's an unlikely chance of our house catching fire. Even so, I always sleep with the door to my room closed. According to what I hear, it's the best way that smoke wouldn't get in there. But even if I don't make it out alive, at least I followed standard fire safety procedures.
7. Being mauled to death by animals
Don't get me wrong, I love watching nature documentaries, but I wouldn't want to get near a critter that could kill me. Among all dangers, vicious shark bites, venomous snake nips, and violent wasp stings are things I want to avoid at all costs.
I like watching nature. What I don't like is to be attacked by nature. To be confronted by either one of those critters is terrifying enough, but to have all three at once, I'd die before they even come near me. Not that it's possible for that to happen, but even so...