Appropriate for the month in which all the ghouls and goblins come out for tricks and treats, Tuesday, Oct. 13 was National Face Your Fears Day. If only it had fallen on a Friday (insert evil laugh here).
But superstitions aside, recognizing the day means thinking about the things that haunt us — a scary proposition in itself — and finding ways to overcome those fears.
So, we at The State Press decided to take a look at the things troubling us (being trapped in the newsroom basement for one), and find a way to spin our fears into positives (at least there are a lot of computers down here).
A list of things that scare us:
• Being bitten by a spider: There are 5,000 black widow spiders in an ASU research lab just kind of kickin’ it. Um … eek? Five thousand black widows in a single lab — what about the rest of the spiders in the world ready to strike? We sympathize with Ron Weasley from Harry Potter — spiders are terrifying, even when they’re not of the large, talking Acromantula breed. But if you are freaked out by the mere mention of the eight-legged creatures, remember spiders do wonders for our ecosystem. Also, if you get bitten, you may become Spiderman (spidey sense included).
• Catching the swine flu: Well, maybe the pandemonium associated with the H1N1 virus is what scares us more. Global pandemic? Pretty frightening. Add the asu.edu/pandemic Web site and voila, you’ve got a pressure cooker of fear. The positives? All it takes is a little pinch of the needle to fend off the virus — or the use of a very attractive doctor’s mask. But if you do find yourself in bed with the sniffles, at least you don’t have to go to class. And if the Spiderman thing holds true, contracting swine flu may turn you into Ms. Piggy.
• Liking vampires: Edward Cullen, we know that you’re a real charmer, but we’re starting to get a little worried. You could be just buttering us up to become so defenseless, we won’t know when your neck kisses eventually turn into you sucking out all our blood. Also, you’re partially responsible for a massive disintegration of many a vital relationship, tempting women with your austere passion. So, society, what’s the deal with getting all cozy with vampires? On the bright side, getting bitten means you’ll turn immortal — just watch out for stakes to the heart.
• Practically everything else: Failure, catastrophe, walking to Lot 59 at night — there are a lot of very real fears in this world and not a lot of easy ways to dissuade them, but being cognizant of your fears may be the first step in working through them. In the words of the unforgettable Franklin D. Roosevelt, “The only think we have to fear is fear itself.” That, and black cats.
