Oddly specific fears (or interests) in childhood

[BlueConundrum]

I was thinking about things that I was scared of as a child, and I realized that many of the things I was afraid of were oddly specific and nonsensical.

For example, I was not afraid of clowns, but I would be terrified if I saw a clown throw a pie in someone's face. Something about pies thrown in faces FREAKED ME OUT, but clowns and pies in separate situations were totally fine. I was more disturbed seeing someone get pie shoved in their face on TV than I was seeing people with guns on TV. I have no idea why.

I was also afraid of Spiderman when he used his webs to jump from buildings. I wasn't afraid of Spiderman or his webs, but when he used them to jump from buildings I would run and hide.

I would also get obsessed with random scenes in movies. There would be 30 seconds where I liked a gesture someone made or something, and I would watch short scenes over and over.

Is this a neurodivergent thing? Or just a really weird kid thing? I'm happy to say that I've outgrown most of this weirdness.

 

[ancusmitis]

I was afraid of leaving the house by the garage, because I thought there was a giant bird living on the roof of it that would swoop down and kill me. I always left by the front door and I would sneak along the side of the house so I could see whether it was there. Then I would be okay going into the driveway.

 

[Questella]

I spent most of my childhood being super afraid that zombies were always right around the corner!

In all fairness my dad made me watch "Night of the Living Dead" when I was like five though...

 

[thiswaygo]

I was continually fearful of nuclear holocaust.

 

[Geoo98]

I was terrified of drying my hair if there was no one in the room. I didn't like the loud noise next to my head, it still freaks me out so I try to leave my hair in a towel for as long as possible to shorten the time the hairdryer is on. I'm not sure why someone else being in the room eased my fear.

 

[Progster]

I was continually fearful of nuclear holocaust.

I was afraid of this, too. Or of the world ending.

I was afraid of thunderstorms and sudden, unexpected loud noises such as a gun going off or a balloon bursting, but for some reason, I wasn't so afraid of fireworks. I suppose this is because they were are a distance and not really so noisy, or if they were family fireworks, I could see my dad lighting them and I knew exactly when they were going to go off and cover my ears if necessary, but he always had them a good distance from us.

 

[BIMOG]

I was continually fearful of nuclear holocaust.

The most disturbing dream (nightmare) that I ever had was when i was thirteen. I dreamed I was standing in the garden on a hot sunny Sunday afternoon, I could hear the sound of people mowing lawns and behind those sounds, in the distance but gradually getting closer and louder, was a low throbbing sound. I looked up and watch the three planes approaching from the east, they flew overhead and continued onward, heading towards the city of Liverpool, just 7 miles to the west. The central plane was a very large bomber and it was flanked by two fighter planes. All three planes bore the Soviet red star insignia. In the dream I just stared and though "Oh f*ck, they've finally gone and done it." Thankfully I woke up before the dream progressed any further.

As for specific childhood fears I had two. The amorphous black things with small red eyes that I'd seen in the attic (causing me to jump straight out of the trapdoor in terror). I lived in fear that they were under my bed too or lurking in hedgerows as dusk approached, and I was walking home alone from school on autumn and winter days. My other fear was also bed related, I lay with eyes closed fearing the soft sound of approaching bare feet. The reason for that specific fear was firmly based in reality, I shared my bedroom with a hormone driven older brother.

 

[Marmot]

From my childhood to this very day, irregardless of the house that I am living in / as there have been several: I have always been afraid that there was someone hiding in the basement.....

Anyone else ??

 

[Beverly]

I have always been afraid a large pine tree would fall on my house. Interestingly, I've always lived in or owned homes with a large pine tree close enough to fall on the house, even now I have such a tree. I'm either determined to beat that fear, subconsciously find comfort in a nearby pine tree or, I'm a mental masochist - haven't figured that one out yet.

 

[Marmot]

I have always been afraid a large pine tree would fall on my house. Interestingly, I've always lived in or owned homes with a large pine tree close enough to fall on the house, even now I have such a tree. I'm either determined to beat that fear, subconsciously find comfort in a nearby pine tree or, I'm a mental masochist - haven't figured that one out yet.

Not to make jest of your fear, but does it have anything to do with the movie "Poltergeist" ? That scene where the tree came thru the window (still) scares the hell out of me!

 

[Beverly]

Yes Marmot that scene terrifies me too. I had the fear before I saw that movie but, the movie added a new reason to fear the tree.

As for laughing at me for my pine tree, go for it. I've got be mad to keep choosing homes with pine trees in the yard when they scare me, and might be possessed too - thanks for the reminder by the way. LOL.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Fear that the ceiling would randomly collapse for no reason.

Fear of going down (not up, that was fine) escalators - the moving stair things.

Fear of that crusty stuff that forms on your eyes (my sibling had it on eyelashes and it freaked me out so much so I ran and hid which made them cry and try to get to me but that made me freak out more)

A list of all my specific interests would be a separate topic entirely as they are all I've had. I've never had a normal, wide interest. I've only be interested in incredibly specific things.

 

[ancusmitis]

From my childhood to this very day, irregardless of the house that I am living in / as there have been several: I have always been afraid that there was someone hiding in the basement.....

Anyone else ??

Yes, I've had that sense too. But only in the second house I lived in. And it wasn't a person, but ghosts. That basement stayed creepy through highschool, as a matter of fact, even though I moved my computer down there and spent most of my day in the room farthest from the stairs--incidentally, the creepiest part of that basement. Always felt a little sheepish going down there. Actually, I think it was the bugs that were the problem. There was a hole in the outside wall that bugs could get in, and I would find dead crickets down there all the time. Something about those huge legs was just too damn freaky.