Transcribe
Translate
Chanticleer
Page 2
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
2 EDITORIAL Fear and Phobias Phobias, those indefinable fears, always interested my intensely. Mainly I suppose, because I have a phobia of my own. Yes, my very own phobia which I detest and, frankly, am ashamed of. I've tried time and time again to rid myself of this ingrained fear but it seems irremediable. All it takes to put me on edge is a gathering of dark clouds, for when dark clouds gather in the sky, my heart begins to beat faster, I become extremely nervous and smoke countless cigarettes. No, it's not the storm in general that causes my uneasiness, but what comes with the storm--lightning. You who have no phobias will probably say that I am weak, a coward. Probably I am, but I don't think so. For if I was a coward I would be afraid of the wind also. On the contrary, I revel in the wind. I actually enjoy a wind of tornado proportions, enjoy seeing branches being blown off trees, enjoy seeing the futility of man against the breezes when they get their dander up. If a storm consists of a high wind, rain, and hail, it is not a storm to me, it's sorta fun. But--throw in the lightning and I'll crawl into my shell like a whimpering puppy. I'm not scared of the dark, height doesn't bother me (enjoyed myself immensely climbing mountains in Colorado), I like to travel fast, I'm nuts about flying and the more rolls, dives and twists the better. I enjoy the thrill of dropping fastly and getting that sickening feeling in my stomach. I have no fear of water or fire. I do have a slight fear of dismemberment, mainly, I believe, because I dearly love to play the piano and the organ. I do not fear death as I firmly believe that death will be a surcease from trouble, absolute nothingness. Let me deviate a bit. That all men have a fear is some sort of seems to me to be irrefragable. No matter how vehemently a person argues his lack of fear, I can not believe him. A confession of complete lack of fear strikes me as being a vain attempt to bolster ones ego, or a plain unvarnished falsity. I mention this because I know a fan that will state emphatically that he fears absolutely nothing, in other words he says that he has a complete lack of fear. If I had a complete lack of fear I would think nothing of swimming in a pool full of crocodiles. I would break laws because I had no fear of the consequences. If I, myself, had no fear, I would have no inhibitions, for I would not care what the dictates of society were. I would do any damn thing I pleased. I would have no qualms about throwing bricks at windows, I would tell my bosses to go to blazes, I might even be a polygamist. Why shouldn't I do these things, I fear nothing, I have no fear of being punished, no fear of jail. Well, that's not for me. I venerate the laws of humanity, and isn't venerate a synonym of fear? Thus a man who fears nothing, venerates nothing, and one who states that he has a complete lack of fear is bound to be one of two things: a falsifier, or a criminal. But to get back to phobias. I admit my phobia, admit that I am a coward as far as lightning is concerned, and I believe that you too, would fear it if you came within ten seconds of being killed by it, if you saw one of your best pals practically take your place in death because of it. I was in the Civilian Conservation Corps at the time. We were working in the
Saving...
prev
next
2 EDITORIAL Fear and Phobias Phobias, those indefinable fears, always interested my intensely. Mainly I suppose, because I have a phobia of my own. Yes, my very own phobia which I detest and, frankly, am ashamed of. I've tried time and time again to rid myself of this ingrained fear but it seems irremediable. All it takes to put me on edge is a gathering of dark clouds, for when dark clouds gather in the sky, my heart begins to beat faster, I become extremely nervous and smoke countless cigarettes. No, it's not the storm in general that causes my uneasiness, but what comes with the storm--lightning. You who have no phobias will probably say that I am weak, a coward. Probably I am, but I don't think so. For if I was a coward I would be afraid of the wind also. On the contrary, I revel in the wind. I actually enjoy a wind of tornado proportions, enjoy seeing branches being blown off trees, enjoy seeing the futility of man against the breezes when they get their dander up. If a storm consists of a high wind, rain, and hail, it is not a storm to me, it's sorta fun. But--throw in the lightning and I'll crawl into my shell like a whimpering puppy. I'm not scared of the dark, height doesn't bother me (enjoyed myself immensely climbing mountains in Colorado), I like to travel fast, I'm nuts about flying and the more rolls, dives and twists the better. I enjoy the thrill of dropping fastly and getting that sickening feeling in my stomach. I have no fear of water or fire. I do have a slight fear of dismemberment, mainly, I believe, because I dearly love to play the piano and the organ. I do not fear death as I firmly believe that death will be a surcease from trouble, absolute nothingness. Let me deviate a bit. That all men have a fear is some sort of seems to me to be irrefragable. No matter how vehemently a person argues his lack of fear, I can not believe him. A confession of complete lack of fear strikes me as being a vain attempt to bolster ones ego, or a plain unvarnished falsity. I mention this because I know a fan that will state emphatically that he fears absolutely nothing, in other words he says that he has a complete lack of fear. If I had a complete lack of fear I would think nothing of swimming in a pool full of crocodiles. I would break laws because I had no fear of the consequences. If I, myself, had no fear, I would have no inhibitions, for I would not care what the dictates of society were. I would do any damn thing I pleased. I would have no qualms about throwing bricks at windows, I would tell my bosses to go to blazes, I might even be a polygamist. Why shouldn't I do these things, I fear nothing, I have no fear of being punished, no fear of jail. Well, that's not for me. I venerate the laws of humanity, and isn't venerate a synonym of fear? Thus a man who fears nothing, venerates nothing, and one who states that he has a complete lack of fear is bound to be one of two things: a falsifier, or a criminal. But to get back to phobias. I admit my phobia, admit that I am a coward as far as lightning is concerned, and I believe that you too, would fear it if you came within ten seconds of being killed by it, if you saw one of your best pals practically take your place in death because of it. I was in the Civilian Conservation Corps at the time. We were working in the
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
