CONFRONTING MY FEAR OF TICKS It amazes me how fearful I am of something so small. Maybe it’s because they are so small. Ticks can sneak up on you when you aren’t looking. There is nothing creepier than finding one climbing up your pants leg and knowing it’s probably not alone. Instantly I have a desire to rip all of my clothes off and jump into the shower as fast as I can. When I was young we spent a lot of family time out in nature, picnicking, fishing, picking blueberries, looking for wild flowers and interesting rocks. It was fun until the wood ticks showed up. I remember sitting in the back seat of our car behind my dad, as we headed home from an outdoor adventure, when I spotted something crawling up the back of his neck. Mom identified it as a tick and then we all freaked out. It was the longest ride home ever, knowing I was helplessly trapped in an enclosed space with wood ticks. I felt like they were were probably crawling somewhere on my body looking for a spot of bare skin they could poke their repulsive little heads into. Unlike many of my childhood fears, this is one that hasn’t gone away. THE GIANT MUTANT TICK The other day I took my Abby cat to the vet. As she is an indoor cat, I don’t even have to think about the possibility of ticks. However, sitting on the counter was a giant stuffed version of one. It was in a basket, poking its head out of a pile of other items that some vet supply company thought would be an amusing advertising display. I was not amused. It made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t stop myself from picking it up. I guess the people who thought up this ploy, to peak their customers’ interest, knew what they were doing. Despite the fact it was basically a chew toy it triggered my inner tick aversion. The plump body and rows of skinny legs were quite realistic. Then the fear was taken over by a little part of me that wanted to take it home. Maybe I could use it to take out my frustrations by whacking the bejeebies out of it. Perhaps it could help me find a more healing place in my psyche around wood ticks. I decided to just take a picture of it instead, knowing it would make good blog material. HEALING THROUGH HUMOR My blog is a good place to explore my fears and frustrations. Writing about them helps me see things from another perspective. There is something very healing about finding the humor in a fear inducing situation. I’m glad that I could experience that with the giant stuffed wood tick. Otherwise my vet visit might have triggered nightmares, reminiscent of some horror movie, about being attacked by giant mutant ticks.
1 Comment
Joan Lindberg
10/4/2023 01:53:05 pm
I was immediately suspicious of the photo....the legs looked more like french fries to me. My suspicion says a lot about my own foibles. I also hate ticks, but on top of that I have food issues. With two collies and over 50 fosters/adopted collies through my home in the last 20 years plus the 4 acres of north woods on my property, ticks take a backseat to my food issues. If they didn't let you take the tick home, maybe you could buy one at a pet store? Or better yet, find a tick-shaped pinata. That would neatly combine BOTH of my own issues.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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