What's Your Story - Fear Edition

For the past several months, I've interviewed a different person each week in an ongoing project I call What's Your Story? So far I've talked to 31 different people. One of the questions I ask all my what's your story participants is, What do you fear most?

Here are the answers I've received so far.


Okay, seriously? Tornadoes. Or maybe being buried alive. ... Definitely that one, actually.

Earwigs. I know, I'm totally neurotic, but I'm terrified of earwigs. I don't mind other insects, and I think it's really just the name that gets me. Every time I see an earwig, I think it's going to crawl into my ear. There are a bunch of earwigs in my garden, and when they make it into the house attached so some home grown produce, it always makes me loose my appetite. And also squirm and freak out too. Seriously, earwigs are creepy.

Yikes. Honestly... I'm not afraid of quitting or falling behind with my art, because I know I wouldn't let that happen. It's far more likely that I'll continue working, but I'll keep doing so in relative isolation. No audience, no recognition. Just some strange girl with a notebook and a tablet PC filled with terrible comics. So I guess I fear isolation more than anything.

I’m afraid of losing control. I become agitated when I can’t control a situation and if someone tries to control me. I get upset, become avoidant since I’m not argumentative, and sometimes I lose my temper. Mild discomfort can lead to full panic mode. I don't want anyone or anything compromising my freedom.

I think I have the general fear that most parents have:  I have never raised children before—So are we doing a good job, or scarring them for life?  I am guessing the answer is:  probably a little of both!!!--which is VERY scary!   If you don’t think this is scary, then just remember all those sappy songs and quotes about how children are the future?!?!... and then come to the realization that they are talking about YOUR children being the future!  Scary indeed!

Not connecting with other people.

I fear being unloved, or maybe its fear that I am unworthy of love.

Being inadequate.

when i was younger i feared stagnation - i never wanted to become stuck in a place where i would stop growing. over the years, having repeatedly changed situations and started fresh (sometimes by choice, sometimes not), my hunger for knowledge and faith in my resilience and charisma have faded. i realize more and more how difficult it is for me to connect with people or feel a sense of belonging. what good is experience without people to share it with? as i struggle to connect with people, it becomes harder to identify things in my life that feel worth knowing or sharing. sometimes i miss past opportunities to "stagnate." i am no longer afraid of an end to learning so much as i am of being alone.

Failure in life.

I would say I’m afraid of being ostracized.  I know that’s not the perfect word for it.  Maybe shunning?  There used to be a practice, I want to say in colonial times, where everyone would just turn their backs on a Scarlet Letter type person and ignore them.  Like, literally just turn their backs and pretend the offender wasn’t there.  We have a modern version, I’m not sure if it’s got a name yet, but you probably know what I mean.  The whole internet instantly deems you persona non grata.  Your career, mighty though it may have been, is toppled.  You become hated.  A joke.  It happened to Paula Deen…Nickelback…Miley Cyrus.  I’m sure between the time I write this and the time it goes up on Kate’s blog it will have happened to someone else.  I’m always sort of afraid I’ll say something stupid and then be ostracized like that.

I honestly can’t answer this. I don’t know. There’s so many things one could fear might happen, but I figure I’ll take things as they come. . .somehow. 

Not sure I've lived enough to answer this well, but the truth is that I hate failing. I've been lucky enough to find things I do well early in life, but that has hindered me because I am not sure how to fail publicly.

Being abandoned in a pitch black room, full of creepy china dolls; where, at random intervals, the light flashes on, only to reveal that the dolls, with their big, freaky, staring eyes have moved. Yikes! It makes me want to run and hide, just thinking about it.

My greatest fear is opening myself to someone, asking for help and being treated as if I don't mater.

I fear failing my children. I realize I'm painting a picture here of being a crazy, neurotic, over-protective mom, but I promise, I hide it in real life very well!

Dying before being able to raise my daughter until she's an adult. There, it's the truth. I'm not really afraid of dying really, I'm afraid of leaving the people I love behind, of leaving my daughter without a mother.

I've always been a big risk taker. I fear that one of my actions will inadvertently hurt the people that I love. I also fear living my life with regrets.

I most fear losing my children. Probably a pretty common fear for parents. My second-biggest fear is dying young and not getting to raise my children. My third biggest fear is losing Tony (my husband) and having to raise the kids on my own.

I have faced every fear and demoralized them.

Playing the piano in public.

I'm not afraid of ghosts, I love ghosts. And horror movies, and all of that stuff. Paranormal Activity is the best movie ever! I'm afraid of bad drivers. Riding on the highway during rush hour when my mom is driving is scary.

That I won’t be able to tell all the stories I wish to tell. That I won’t be able to learn all the skills I want to learn in order to become the artist I wish to become. Also, scorpions. It’s like someone made the perfect math equation for producing the world’s most terrifying creatures, plugged in a very, very high number, and scorpions came out.

Having someone break into my house when I’m home alone or asleep in bed.

Rejection. And awkward, uncomfortable situations, which often stem from rejection.I hate hurting other peoples feelings. 

Doing damage that's beyond my power to repair. Yeah, it really does extend to all aspects of life. Breakups? Ouch, I'm hurting someone and it's not in my power to make it all better. Dealing with other people's money? Oh, you better believe that's scary. I could lose someone else's money, and not be able to fix it. The worst part about this fear is it's not unreasonable, it's only the strength of my reaction that's unreasonable. But the bigger problem is that I want to be a show runner, and being in charge means you're empowered to do a lot of good, but always more harm than good. So good luck to me. Yikes!

That something bad will happen to my kids.

Running out of chocolate. Either that or having to be dependent on someone else. Spiders are also pretty awful. I think it's a three way tie for #1.

Anything bad happening to anyone I love.

Wasps. Everything else I can buckle down and meet head on. But not wasps..unless it was to save a baby or something. 

The unknown, which is crazy because life is full of it. I’m a worrier by nature. It’s definitely something I’m working on.

So what about you? What do are you afraid of? If you are interested in participating in a future installment of What's Your Story, please leave your contact information in the comments section of this post, or email me directly at katherine.elliott.scott(at)gmail.