Monday, November 14, 2005

A phobia

One of the things I fear and hate most is SNAKES. Even writing this makes my skin creep, and I furtively lift my feet up from the carpet, although I know that these things do not live in London, and even if they did, they would be hibernating. Thank God. I cannot watch anything that has these creatures be it telly or movies or pictures because of my deep-seated loathing for them. Of course there is no logic or reason to my phobia, but it is there and it is real!!!

Once my family and I went to the Nairobi museum, and afterwards, some brave souls decided to go to the snake house. I and a younger sister waited outside enjoying our ice-cream, after a few minutes, we heard screams coming out from the snake house and one of the “brave” ones came running out, screaming and shaking – why? because she had been leaning on a wall and when she turned around she came face to face with a snake. Granted it was cased in a glass thingy but the fact that it was that close to her was just beyond fear.

Someone once told me about a type of snakes in Western Kenya that come to play with babies, while their mothers work in the gardens. She said that they are like nannies and will play them while the mother is busy, and when it is time for the mother go home, she will thank the snake for taking such good care of the baby, plead with it to give the baby back and promise to bring it back the following day. All I can say is HELP!!!

A while back an expert on reality TV was working with people to "cure" them of their fears. He challenged several to hold the things they feared (snakes, spiders, creepy crawlies etc) so that they could overcome their fear. Who me? Not for all the tea in China, India and Kenya combined would I allow myself to be in a room with snakes.

I am sure there are several experts who would be more than happy to tell me the reasons for my fear and what I ought to do to overcome this fear, but if it means being anywhere near them – FORGET IT. Let’s not reason it out, overcome it or analyse the fear. Let snakes stay where they belong – in holes in the ground and as far away from me as possible.

When I give thanks to the Almighty for His great works, I will thank Him because He is the Boss, but I will find a way of pointing out to Him that snakes are a very bad idea. Thank You God, anyway - some people like snakes, but me - I work very hard to avoid them.