Picking up from yesterday –
[Edited to add: This post is now from many, many years ago. I’m still not always great around dogs, but now having worked in environments that have them, I’m better. So, please don’t hate me for my old (kinda current, maybe still?) fear of dogs. Thank you!]
I have an incredibly huge fear of dogs. Ginormous.
I thought I was getting over my fear of dogs. In the past, when I would see someone walking a dog (even on a leash), I’d have to immediately turn the other way, find a crosswalk, and hightail it across the street.
Somewhat recently, I saw someone walking a dog, on a leash, and I actually stayed on her side of the street.
Of course, I made quite a big circle around her, leaving a lot of room for myself to try to not die. I thought that was crazy huge progress. I figured I’m pretty much cured.
Nope. The most recent example (but definitely not the only one) of my crippling fear of dogs was on Friday. After my day of being a SWAT volunteer at Ragnar, Jeanette very nicely offered to come pick me up. My station – Exchange 6 – got done a little early, so I ended up waiting a few minutes at the park. Almost as soon as the Ragnar truck took off, people came swarming in with their dogs, as though a dog signal went off somewhere.
I was trapped inside my worst nightmare – sitting at the edge of a park as people let their dogs jump out of cars – even before they, as the owners, got out.
There are dogs under no supervision, just running, and I mean sprinting around that park. I’m going to die today, aren’t I?
My heart rate skyrockets. I’m standing there, barely able to breathe, completely on the verge of bawling my eyes out.
They all came of nowhere! There are dogs in cars in the parking lot, and dogs running around the park. Of course, I’m sitting right between those two places.
I’m very apologetic to the owner who has finally gotten out of her car. She looks at me as though I am a complete crazy person. I understand that I am, a little bit, being a crazy person.
I say I’m sorry. Then, this man with his super large dog says not to worry – his dog is nice.
Oh, you say your dog is nice? Well then, I’m completely at ease now. Most people are the first to point out that their seemingly good dog could turn vicious at any moment – their dog that completely has the ability to rip out my Achilles tendon, rendering me unable to run, and then eat me. But, since you are the one person on the planet who thinks his dog is really nice, and since your crazy fast, humongous dog is so non-threatening, let me just completely trust you with my life. No big deal.
Can you tell from all the sarcasm that I am unbelievably afraid? I think fear can make people a little angry. At the time, I didn’t know if I should be mad at the owners or myself. (I wasn’t sure what the rules were concerning dogs at that park.)
I checked the official website of Yorba Regional park. It says dogs must be on a leash at all times. Now we all know to be mad at the owners!
I’ll know next time that I can yell at them (just as I do with smokers in non-smoking zones). Follow the rules, people (at least when they pertain to keeping people from dying).
I gather up my things as quickly as possible, and get the heck out of that park immediately.
Jeanette and Jo very wonderfully made it so that I never even came close to being in contact with any of their four(!) dogs. I am the worst houseguest, and they are awesome.
In conclusion, I am super afraid of dogs. Super, super crazy afraid. I know it makes people dislike me. (This is my life.) People always try to show me pictures of “cute” dogs to get me to change my mind. To me, those dogs are scary death machines.
Now that we’ve established my fear, I’ll continue with A Run Through Redlands tomorrow.