Which is not that depression thing particularly teenagers tend to experience.
It's actually the Dutch word for fear.
Now, there are many forms of fear. There are also many irrational fears that only make sense to the ones they concern. Also, words for fears are not always very logical. Take 'hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia', being the fear of long words. Not very logical at all. "Really, you've got a phobia? Tell me about it." "Well, see, I'm afraid of long words." "Oh, you mean you have hippopotomonstroses-" "AAAAAAGHHHHH!!".
But really, fear is all around us. There are people who are deathly afraid of peanut butter. It happens!
Apart from the strange and often trivial fears of generic objects, though, there are also for example people who can't be in deep water, even while they can swim. I have a bit of this, I think. I dislike being in very deep lakes or the sea because it makes me uncomfortable to think about all the things beneath me that I can't see.
But really, the thing I personally am the most afraid of is time. Time, which just keeps passing and is unshakably determined. You never get it back. You just keep getting older and older and being in worse and worse condition while having fewer and fewer prospects for your future - which, incidentally, gets shorter and shorter - until eventually you die.
I'm also afraid of being trivial. I don't like to think I'll spend my life in this small town, working for some nameless company and never making a difference in the world. I don't understand people who choose to live that way. Like my parents. On the other hand, I can't really say what should be wrong with that. There are so many people on the world nobody has heard of. It's inevitable, and I shouldn't expect to be 'better' than that. In fact, I'm not sure I would want to. I don't really think the life of a celebrity is one I would ever choose for myself.. too little freedom, too much forced socialization. It's not for me.
I guess that's the most annoying thing about fear. Even when you realize it's unfounded and meaningless, that doesn't make it any less potent or real.
~Levyathan
This was a great post, and a great start to a great challenge. (My stuff will start coming up at half-pace on Monday! Shameless self-promotion time.)
ReplyDeleteI am also a bit afraid of water. However, that has more to do with a fear of suffocation than any horrorterrors dwelling beneath. I wouldn't mind never snorkelling. All in all, though, I think that last sentence really sums up a big part of the nature of fear.
Well I can't swim so I'm allowed to not want to go in the water. There are plenty of people who do have the simple life, and for most of them, it is all they aspire for. If you want to be something more, then you go be something more :) If you're afraid of being a celebrity then just be really underground, live of hipsters, and fade into obscurity before you become popular.
ReplyDeleteThat should be "live off hipsters". You want to talk about wasted time talk about how long it took me to correct myself. Then write that.
DeleteWell, peanut butter CAN be lethal to some people. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, time's a tad bit scary. Not to the point I go mad, but I'm just kind of afraid of wasting my time doing nothing in particular. If I could I'd spend all time with friends doing fun stuff, but alas, the system doesn't want us to. ):
As for the "being trivial" thing, I'd say you never know until you try. If you find something you enjoy doing and can get a job in that, and it makes you happy, then why aim higher? You don't know how lucky you are to have what you have until you lose it.
I understand what you mean when you talk about fear of passing time; we all grow older and I'm decades older than you are. The great thing about time (when you use it wisely and live in each moment creating memories) is that you're able to look back at all of your experiences and gain joy and gratitude from them. The sad thing about fear is that it takes our time from us; one thing I've learned. And as for for being in the ocean? I don't think so! :)
ReplyDeleteThe best advice I can give you is to concentrate on making a difference in the lives of others around you. Consistently do that every day for the rest of your life -- however long that may be -- and you will be famous -- to those you have helped.
ReplyDeleteMM
Hi, checking out your blog for the A-Z Challenge. Great post...fears can be powerful things. Good luck with the Challenge.
ReplyDeleteShannon