Mr. Grasshopper, please go away!

I am afraid of grasshoppers.  Those tiny creatures terrify me. I will barricade myself in a room if one is in the house or if it is outdoors blocking the path to the door, I will consider booking a hotel or if I am thinking logically use another door to enter. I have bruised knee and scraped elbows from my ordeals with grasshoppers. To the innocent onlooker, my antics would appear crazy or silly. They include throwing shoes to spraying and running to calling others to deal with the grasshopper while I hide.

When Nash came into my life and realised I was afraid of grasshoppers he decided that I should face that fear.  His grand plan involved catching a live grasshopper.  He tried to coax me into touching the grasshopper and he put the grasshopper on my hand to show me that they don’t bite.  My darling boyfriend at that time probably felt that I had conquered my fear after this exercise.

He was quite surprised then that the next time I encountered a grasshopper that I almost broke my leg in my quest to get away. In his ever calm voice he asked me if it made sense to seriously injure myself because of a grasshopper. In my less calm voice I acknowledged that a broken leg would be quite inconvenient.

Grasshopper

Grasshopper

We then went through the exercise once again to demonstrate that grasshoppers are quite harmless and that they are more afraid of me than I am of them (Nash’s opinion). Nash was demonstrating with a live grasshopper which he then let go. Then tragedy struck. A bird swooped in and swallowed the grasshopper right in front of us.  I stared in disbelief and I felt sad for the grasshopper. I told Nash if he had not interrupted the grasshopper’s day, he might still be alive. I still tease him about it.

I am sure there is a lesson in this story somewhere for someone in this random story. I also wish I could say that I am no longer afraid of grasshoppers.  I thought I was getting over my fear and I even had some ‘brave’ moments but one day one jumped towards me and I relapsed like a recovering alcoholic who is given a drink or two.

Grasshopper

Grasshoppers and I now have an understanding. I stay out of their way and they stay out of mine. This one was outside of the house tonight. As long as it stays there we are good.

Which island creatures make you jump?

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