Irrational Fear of the Week: Water Creatures

I have a huge list of things I am afraid of, and most of them, irrationally so.  I could make an entire blog just about my irrational fears.  Instead, I decided to make a "featurette" on this blog... because who really wants to read a blog full of someone's irrational fears?  Probably the same people who want to read the random junk I put on this blog.  No one.

So, anytime I am in a situation where a natural body of water is involved, I get apprehensive.  I do NOT want to go in that water--no way, no how.  I usually try to make up an excuse like "I don't feel like swimming" or "I can't swim very well"... "I don't want to get sunburned."  All kinds of things.  People often ask if I'm afraid of deep water, and sometimes I lie and just say "yes."  And, people are pretty understanding about that.  My real fear, however, is not deep water per se.  It is what lurks within that deep water!

I am terrified of water creatures.  All of them.  Even the ones that I know cannot hurt me.  Tons of people are afraid of sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, water snakes, eels.  I'm afraid of those, sure.  But I am also afraid of normal fish, turtles, whatever.  Anything in the water is a potential source of terror.  It is not the fish themselves, in theory... it is the "not knowing" associated with being in the water.  I don't know 1) what is in there, 2) where it is, or 3) what that is rubbing against my leg (a combination of 1 & 2).  This leads to a world of anxiety for me in the water.  With enough goading, I will get in the water and just silently, or vocally, freak out the entire time.

My closer friends know my "real" fear of water creatures, and when I tell people, they find it hilarious and/or ridiculous.  Somehow, the fear of deep water is legitimate, but the fear of things lurking in the water is not.  If we are in a lake, people will say "don't worry, there are no sharks in here!", as if sharks are the only thing you could possibly be afraid of!  Is it so hard to imagine that the mere idea of something swimming around/under me without me knowing what it is or being able to see it... scares the crap out of me in itself !?  Perhaps I am just an anxious person.  Well, obviously I am since I am afraid of about 50 irrational things!  Ha.

I have found that if I can see everything in the water, I'm pretty OK.  If the water is crystal clear, I am happy as a lark (this is, naturally, my reasoning for why every one of my vacations has to be to a tropical island...and so far, this logic is working - last two vacations:  Hawaii and Jamaica :)).  If I have goggles, I can be as deep as I want and look at everything underneath me and feel secure.  If I cannot see what is beneath/around me, this is often what I envision is lurking beneath my free-wiggling toes:

Image via www.topnews.in

Yes, even in small freshwater streams.  Irrational?  Yes.  I already said it was!

Funny thing is... if I wear shoes in the water, I feel 1000x better.  Something about feeling my unprotected naked feet swinging free in the watery abyss does not sit well with me.  Also, if I am very close to another person, I feel better... as if they will "alert" me if something is approaching, or that "something" will get them first (I swear I am older than 8...).  Note that I have never been bitten/stung/etc. by any kind of water creature.  This is a totally unfounded, random fear.  I grew up in the country, swimming in lakes and creeks.  I didn't swim in pools.  It makes zero sense that I have developed this fear.  That is why it is my Irrational Fear of the Week.