L Is For Ledges

I've always been fascinated by things people fear.  Not in a mocking way, I promise, more in the same way that I love people watching.  It's interesting to know what makes people tick.  I knew a girl growing up who was afraid of sharks, and got nervous around any body of water, even though sharks are rarely found in freshwater, Midwestern ponds or the shower.  I mean, what causes our brains to imprint the things that panic us?  I'm sure there's some scientific explanation, but if you know, you don't feel obligated to school me.

I have two things that really mess me up.  One is ledges.  Heights don't really bother me, in fact, I love a good panoramic view of a city.  I've stayed in the upper floors of hotels without problems and been to the top of the Empire State Building without incident.  But I used to have panic attacks about looking over the edge of the church balcony.   One glance down on the rest of the congregation and I was a dizzy, short-of-breath mess.  I can't think of a single reason why.  I've never fallen over a ledge of any kind if you don't count being dropped off a diving board into the arms of my waiting swimming instructor by my mom as a kid.  (I refused to jump, so she helped.  And I still love swimming, so it didn't scar me for life or anything...)

My second makes even less sense.  I hate wind-up music boxes.  Can't stand them in a worst gift you could ever give me sort of way.  I have three beautiful NYC snow globes, and I have no clue what they play.  And if I have my way, I never will.  That is the kind of psycho music boxes bring out in me.  My grandma swears that this phobia is because I hated to sleep and they used to play a Winnie the Pooh wind-up toy in my crib.  I say it's because the high-pitching tinkling is Satan's house music.  I don't know who's right, but my friends will attest that playing a music box in my presence causes a high-speed come apart like no other!

Which leads me to ask...do you guys have any weird fears?  Yell them out in the comments!