Five-minute free writes, Day 11 - "Deep"

Let's talk about phobias.  I know they are supposed to be merely symptoms of an underlying anxiety, dredged up from the lizard brain to give those unconscious fears an outlet.  Whatever - I definitely have one, and that is an irrational panic at the idea of deep water.

A recurring nightmare is that old driving over a bridge and plummeting over the side into the river thing. The concept of ocean cruising and the image of all that deep, deep water puts me into a cold sweat.

I completely understand the phobias of others.  I don't have a particular fear of heights, other than a healthy respect for the edges of the Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building, and Mt. Aetna (which is totally unfenced). Snakes don't bother me, as long as they stay outside and don't invade my space.  Spiders - I know they eat terrible pests like flies and mosquitoes, and they are welcome in my yard. But deep water? Surely if I were intended to venture out into the ocean or even to ride in a glass-bottomed boat over Wakulla Springs, I would have gills somewhere on my body.  Oh, no. I'll be content with river cruising where I can see the shore on each side and the cruise director assures me that if the boat sinks I can go to the top deck and the water won't rise above my knees. 

That, my friends, is a sensible water environment for this old lady.