Okay, so here we go.

This is a little bit embarrassing, but…

I am afraid of ladybugs.

I don’t know exactly why, but they just creep me out so badly! I think it probably goes back to when I was younger. My brother and I used to spend hours finding ladybugs and sticking them in a margarine container. We’d collect hundreds. I was alright catching them, but looking at them in the container was gross. Even worse was at the end of the day when my mom would make us throw the little bastards on the grass next to the front door. Then, comes the image that generally pops into my mind when ladybugs are mentioned- one hundred plus ladybugs scuttling all over each other trying to get away, ultimately going nowhere fast, trampling the bodies of the morning’s catch who had long since run out of oxygen even though holes had been roughly provided.

My fear escalated from there. The sight of a ladybug causes me to shudder. Actual contact with one can be responsible for a much dire reaction. One time I was at work, at Canadian Tire, and I made the mistake of telling someone about my fear. He proceeded to tell someone else, who decided to pretend to put a ladybug on my back. I started yelling, and actually had tears in my eyes at the thought.

So, yes, I have a fear of ladybugs. It’s weird, and unreasonable, and not likely to change anytime soon.

Funnily enough, a few years ago, my dad revealed that he is ALSO afraid of the little buggers. So, maybe it’s genetic!