I suffer from Mottephobia.

This morning while getting ready for work, out of the corner of my eye (yeah for peripheral vision!), I noticed a fluttering near my bedroom ceiling.  I turned and looked and at first glance, I thought a small bird had somehow gotten into the cottage.  {In my defense, I did not have my contacts in nor my glasses on.  Astigmatism...DRAT!}  A second and third glance calmed my heart momentarily, because NOOOO - it was not a bird but rather a moth. 

Something you should know about me...I am afraid, terrified, scared-to-death of moths.  Sooo what did I do?  I did the only thing "sensible" -- I grabbed the broom {I refuse to kill moths within arm's length.  Ick!} and I put on my pink hooded bathrobe.  Not even joking.  I'm pretty sure - had my friends and/or family seen me this morning, they would've called the little men with the white jackets that buckle in the back.  Yep - yours truly would've been locked up in a padded room all because of a moth.  Seriously!!!

For the past couple of nights, I've wondered why Maggie has meowed more than usual.  At first I assumed it was because of claw.  It seemed like it would be painful.  I'd probably cry if I lost a toenail.  However -- today I'm wondering if she wasn't trying to warn me about the wretched creature of the night fluttering above my head.  Hmmmm...  It's something to consider.

Throughout my work day (and even tonight while at the gym with Lauren), I've been psyching myself up to find and destroy the moth and wouldn't you know - I've searched high and low and can't find him. 

Mottephobia:  fear of moths.  There's an actual scientific name for my suffering. 

I read online that most (if not all) phobias are associated with childhood trauma.  I'm blaming the red winged blackbirds that had nested in my cute, little bus stop at the end of our long driveway.  Those birds were soo mean to me.  They made all kinds of ruckus and would dive-bomb me.  I was in 1st or 2nd grade. 

My second childhood trauma:  I grew up in the country so there were plenty of bats that would come out at dusk.  Someone (i.e. my father) told me that I should run to the house because the bats might get tangled up in my curly hair.  30 years later and I am wearing a pink hooded bathrobe and using a broom to take out a moth.  Seriously - I think I need to go to counseling.  Again - bring out the white jackets with those cute back buckles. 

Another flyer that I am not a fan of are those flying grasshoppers.  When I was in elementary school, my mom made me the cutest pink and white striped jumper.  One Sunday morning, I was wearing said jumper and seated quietly at church.  I glanced down and saw a grasshopper stuck on my jumper.  Since church had already started, I knew screaming and running from the building was not an option.  Period.  I remember my heart palpitating and somehow I managed to get that evil thing off my dress before my Sunday shoe sent it to an early grave.  I killed one of God's creatures in church on the Lord's day and you know something - I did not feel bad about it.

I do not have a problem killing bugs.  I flush spiders and earwigs.  I kill beetles and other "crunchy" exoskeleton insects if I can step on them without hearing the crunch.  In the file room, I will start humming loudly before I step on them.  I walk out of my way to avoid startling those flying grasshoppers.  One morning, I was actually 1 minute late punching in for work because the parking lot was covered.  "Covered" is kind of an exaggeration.  There were many and I was overly-cautious.

I don't know how Pharoah and the Egyptians survived the plagues of flies and locusts and even the frogs.  Whenever I teach this story and I try to explain it so the kids will understand, it seems the girlies in my Sunday school class and myself always get ultra-creeped-out.  There were locusts (i.e. monster flying grasshoppers) every where.  {Heebie jeebies!}

Back to my current moth hunt...moths are nocturnal, right?  Well...I think I will do some online research and see if there's a way to lure it out so it can meet the end of my broom.  Muhahahahahaha (evil laughter)!!! 

I wish my neighbor was home.  He works for the pest control people and I would totally offer him the $7.50 cash in my purse if he would remove this moth from my cottage.

Ooooh speaking of the cottage & not related to tonight's moth incident -- I have started looking for other housing opportunities for 2 reasons which both involve my safety.  Adjacent to the 'hood is moving further west down my street.  (Sigh.)