There is one thing to be explained about this trip. You see I have Ophidiophobia a healthy fear of snakes.
Snakes and I don't need to inhabit the same area of space and time. I don't know if it goes back to the original sin story but I Don't Like Snakes. If I come across one in them in the rough when golfing, one of us will be sorry, especially if I have a wedge in my hand. If one tries to come across my lawn when I'm cutting grass the snake better watch out (spinning blades). If I'm walking along unprotected, I'll turn around and go the other way, simple as that.
So let's go on a fishing trip with the original fishing guy and my younger brother. I was about 13 and he was 11. God forgot to give give the same healthy fears I have. We were fishing the Allegheny River at the Henry's Bend section of the river. It's a beautiful stretch of river and the small-mouth love to get caught at the bend.My brother saw a snake swimming across the river toward the boat. He, with no wisdom at all , decides to hook the snake with his fishing pole. This snake was 5 foot long and black as night. Isn't that the color of a water moccasin is what went through my mind ? We not only have a snake but a snake that can bite and kill you. This is really were the term healthy fear comes to the forefront. He thinks that he should bring it into the boat to unhook it. Now I ask you, why was it hooked in the first place. I have no idea except sometimes brothers don't think things out. Now I'm really scared, there is no way a snake and I will inhabit the same space in a 12 foot aluminum fishing boat. No Way No Way!!!This is when I made the declaration, "If that snake comes into the boat I'm swimming to shore". Now everyone is laughing, except me, and having a good time. He lift the snake closer to coming into the boat. I edge to the side of the boat. The river is wide here and I don't know if can I swim clear to shoreline with clothes on. This entered my mind but was quickly dismissed. Finally Dad told my brother to cut the line. I guess he could see how close I was to the boat rail. That plus the fact that I had no color in my face. Later I let my brother know if anything of this sort happened again he would know another fear. The fear of the big brother Fistophobia.Two down and # 1 to go.
3 comments:
I'm with you, only concerning spiders.
I went on a canoe trip off of Captiva Island, Florida and we went through some mangrove trees that had spider crabs and wolf spiders every where. I'm scared to death of spiders and anything that looks like a spider.
I got heat stroke prior to entering the mangroves and I forgot how to paddle the canoe. I couldn't even comprehend where I was and was about ready to pass out. I let go of the oar because I didn't know why it was in my hands and I couldn't get my hands or mind to function.
I got really really sick, and spider crabs were dropping in the boat. I was so disoriented I didn't know what I was doing, but my friends said I got out of the canoe and went up one one of the islands.
I got sick on the island and started coming to my senses, and had seen I had walked through several wolf spider webs and they were everywhere. I was petrified and couldn't find my way back to the canoe without going back through the spiders.
My friends were laughing and coached back through the webs that I had already broken. When I got back in the boat again, the sickness and disorientation came back. My friends started pouring ocean water on me and were going to leave me back in the mangroves and go for help. I begged them not to leave me with the spiders.
I layed in the canoe and they got me out of there and back on shore. I never went out again. I chose getting away from the spiders than to wait for rescue to get there. I didn't care if I died on the way back to shore, as long as I wasn't left back there with the spiders.
If we ever go boating, I'll get rid of the snakes for you if you get rid of the spiders for me.
By the way, did you ever think about if you went over the boat and swim to shore, you might be swimming with snakes in the water?
You have a brother like me. He would have done the same thing regardless of someone's fear.
shark girl
That was a really bad boating trip. You probably don't boat at all.
I never thought about snakes in the water but if I have a choice between a snake in the boat or a chance of some snakes in the water, give me the water every time. It's that "bird in the hand" adage.
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