Some things that scare me.....

     I had no ideas for a blog this am, and then one was provided for me.  I'll stretch a simple incident into a 4 paragraph rant, or my name isn't the Ongion. 

     Few things scare me, but this morning I'll admit, it was a bright yellow Easter chick with bunny ears window cling that did it.  After I rose and as I started the coffee, the outside motion detector

Pretty scary, isn't it?

lights on my back deck went on.  As the man of the house, it's my responsibility to investigate these things to keep my family safe, so I went to the french doors that lead to the deck and parted the venetian blinds to peer out, and came face to face with a window cling that my wife had put there.  At 4:33am I had no expectation of coming face to face with anyone or thing, history had taught me that it likely was a neighborhood cat or maybe even a fox, or even just the wind and some leaves, so when the window decal was right there, in my face, unexpected, I was scared for a second.  It was only a second as my brain processed what it was, and I don't expect a long term phobia or anything to develop because of the encounter, I was just startled for a second, but in that second I knew some fear. 

     I won't declare myself brave here, but I will say that I don't get scared easily as I tend to approach things from a position of logic, so I quickly dismiss things that are illogical or improbable.  I grew up watching Star Trek in the 70's and I gained that trait by emulating Mr. Spock.  I fly often, but am not

scared of crashing, because I know the statistics bear out that I'm far more likely to die heading to the airport in my car, than dying due to a plane crash.  Even in heavy turbulence, I only have to remind myself that over 75% of crashes are survivable too, so I can go back to reading my book.  After 9/11 many people were afraid to fly, travel or even go out.  I, on the other hand, flew into New Jersey the week following, had a great Disney vacation that winter, with slow crowds in the park, and got some fantastic tickets for a Broadway play due to soft sales.  I didn't hesitate for a second on these decisions, because I knew logically that we were more prepared to prevent a similar attack the weeks following 9/11 due to all

Roseland's Skyliner, now in Altoona PA

the restrictions and checks put into place.  Similarly, I will try any thrill ride in an amusement park once.  They are tested regularly and most deaths on them come from people disabling or disregarding the safety systems put into place.  As a youth, I'll admit a moment of regular panic that would come as I rode the roller coaster at Roseland Park.  The weird thing is, that it wasn't the big coaster, the Skyliner that scared me, it was the kiddie coaster that did.  At one point during that ride the coaster would take a sudden dip to the left and it felt like the car was going to come off the track and fall towards the lake, and it got me almost every time.  So, you can startle me, but scaring me is harder to do. 

     In Myrtle Beach last week, I paid good money to go through the Ripley's Spook House, and my only fear during it was tripping in the pitch black darkness that they had you navigate.  I've done my

share of these and never have been scared in them. The same goes for the ghost walks that I've paid for, and for walks in the woods at night. Barking dogs and snakes tend not to scare me, although I'll give them a wide berth if they act aggressively, that's just common sense, not fear.  I'm not a huge fan of spiders, but I'll manage them, but admittedly hate to encounter them unexpectedly while showering, that's just creepy.  So what things do scare me?  Not death, it will come when it does, and I believe I'll live as long as God intends me to, so no fear there.  Some of the only things that scare me are the ones that I have no control over, like the possible breakdown of our society.  This country was founded because the populace felt that they were being overburdened with taxes and that they had no say in the process by which they were governed.  As a conservative, living in NY, this statement is as

Now, I'm scared

true today as in 1776, so is a rebellion possible?  Sure.  So is a natural disaster like a meteor strike or an earthquake, so I'm more impressed by people that prepare for these (preppers), than I am worried about them as a group.  I don't find their actions threatening at all, they are just preparing for what they think are events, likely to occur.  That sounds logical to me.  Our crushing national debt is a big fear of mine, and relating it to a roller coaster, the ride has no end in sight, and it's increasing in speed within a infrastructure not designed to maintain it.  We are watching other countries and even cities within the US now coming off their rails, and no one wants to take on the task of fixing it, they just want to slap a new coat of paint on it, and tell us how it's not as bad as it looks.  To not fear this, would be illogical, even to Mr. Spock.