An arachnaphobic's nightmare

1st day of work in the new year. 1st night of school. I was tired from class. It'd been a cold and wet day. At 10pm, I trudged out of school to cross the overhead bridge and take the bus.

The cold wind against my skin sent me shivers as I hugged myself tighter. I scurried up the steps and looked out onto the road to see if my bus was coming.

As I lazily stared, I saw, at the corner of my eye, a white spot in the air. I couldn't resist my curiousity. Just like how silly girls in scary movies moved towards their greatest fears, so did I.

I froze.
Gasped.

It was a cobweb. Complete with spider sitting in the centre.

This huge beautifully woven thing was sitting on one of the poles of the overhead bridge that supported the shelter. From pole to shelter. Not small at all - though the spider was.

I was shocked at the audacity the spider had to weave it on such a highly populated place, where it could be exposed to wind and rain. It was intact.

The people on the overhead bridge were oblivious to its presence. I suspected that I was the only one who could see it. Everyone was really THAT eager to get home. Or maybe they have seen one too many big, intact cobwebs.

People! Stop for a while and marvel at nature!

[Before I continue, let me talk about my phobia.]

I'm arachnaphobic. No doubt about it. After careful thought, I derived the source of my fear. Completely baseless, yet powerful all the same.

I think I first heard the word spider from the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet". It didn't scare me then. Yet. Till the day I saw my elder sister (or was it my mum) playing with a sticky green rubber spider.

She put it on the wall, and it would sort of climb down on its own. It freaked me out bad. I saw where it was kept. That last drawer of the cabinet. I never opened it. I thought it'd jump out onto me.

I was very young back then. Wild guess: I was probably 4 or 5.

[Back to overhead bridge]

I continued walking the length of the overhead bridge. This time alot more alert, and making sure I didn't walk into a web. What I discovered were at least 2 more big webs.

Then as I walked down the steps and held the handrail like I always do, when again, my jumpy eyes spotted a bigger white spot floating in the air.

A much bigger spider. I jerked my hand from the rail and literally stumbled back. I shuddered. This spider had the nerve to weave one from the handrail all the way up to the ceiling of the shelter! The disgusting thing sat in the middle of the web like it owned that space.

As I tried to collect myself and continue my way to the bus stop, I noticed how people actually walked past the web and not notice it - despite me actually standing there for a good few seconds, staring.

That was Tuesday night. Tonight (Wed), I remembered to take the camera out and was determined to show Dearie the disgusting things. I thought the rain would've washed them away like it did to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" but noooo... those things were still there, proud of their woven homes, like how the pig would've been proud of his house of bricks.

Continuing to fascinate me is how no one seemed to take notice of this amazing feature. There's so much to see around us, as long as you take the time to do so, and of course, open your eyes to them.

---

Much as spiders freak me out, they continue to fascinate me. I admit, I have had nightmare(s) starring spiders, and that could be why I make it a point to sit through documentaries I come across that showcase these creatures. So I can defend myself against them when the need arises - or just to gain a better understanding in hopes I shall stop being so afraid.

One of the things I look out for when I go to the zoo is the large number of cobwebs hanging around. They can be spotted in the trees or bushes, and even not so high up right above your head! The wild spiders are huge. And they could just be more fascinating than the animals that you see enclosed, and probably very bored.

Still, I don't think I can rid of this phobia. The best I can do is try to make sure I never come in direct contact with one. I tell you, even touching 1 string of the web is enough to make my hair stand for the rest of the day. Watching it from a distance, or preferably when it is enclosed or on TV is good enough for me.

Enjoy the scenary around us. See beyond the concrete (buildings) and metal (cars). There's lots more not to be missed!