The Whitesides

Along   Came   A   Spider

Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I HATE spiders.  So, it would only make perfect sense that one of my greatest fears in life would be to be driving in my car and have a big old nasty spider jump on me and attack me.  Oh the horrors!

Well, I guess I can say my life is a little more complete this week, as my dreaded and horrific fear came to life.  Sick!  I am cringing and itchy all over just thinking about what happened.  (I can no longer get in my car without looking around me with crazy eyes, and itching all over while driving.)

Perhaps some might say that my story is a miracle.  I myself, can only say that one part of it is. 

This week I was on my way home after dropping Nik off at preschool.  I was in the middle of traffic, just minding my own business, when out of the corner of my eye I see something move.   So naturally I look.  There very near my head (because we all know how short I am so the seat has to be supper close to the wheel and the window), is a big nasty spider, just inching its way closer and closer to my head.  “What did you do?!’ you ask?  What do you think I did?!  I totally freaked!  I did what any sensible person would do.  I grabbed an object from the center console and tried to smoosh the dang thing while trying not to crash the car.  I thought I was being so brave to try this, and would have been so proud of myself for this effort, if it had only worked.  Much to my horror, the spider jumped onto my lap and started running around.  Meanwhile I have totally lost it and started screaming bloody murder (I’m pretty sure whoever looked over at me thought I was being attacked by some serial killer).  Meanwhile poor Ian is crying like crazy because his mom has flipped it.  And here is the miraculous part; in all this time I am not paying attention to the road or my driving At ALL.  It is a true miracle that we did not crash through this whole incident.  Seriously.

So, I have somehow managed to brush the spider off of me to the floor, but now it is lurking somewhere in the dark down there, where I cant see.  I try to reign my emotions in a bit, gain control of the car and weave in and out of traffic to find somewhere where I can possibly pull the car over. 

Mission accomplished.  I pull over and jump out of the car. I smooshed that spider to smithereens and helped Ian calm down.

It was only a little bit later that I discovered that I hadn’t come out of the situation unscathed.  There was a bite on my hand.  I am sincerely hoping that nothing comes of it and I will never, ever have to go through that again.

Some people think that you have to face your fears to conquer them.  To those people, I say, you are entirely incorrect.