Hello, all.
Wow, was I surprised and relieved to read this! I am 39 years old and I also have the irrational fear of dandelions, even as an adult, even though I know there is nothing they can do to hurt me. I've been that way now for a long time... almost as long as I can remember. There was a time when I didn't feel that way, but I barely remember that far back. I'm not sure what happened to cause it. I think another kid may have startled me by touching me with one or blowing the seeds into my face and eyes, but I can't remember for sure. All I know now is I will go ten miles out of my way to steer clear of them. I don't like being near them. I don't like to look at them. I don't like the thought of feeling them (even though I adore stuffed animals, feather boas, and other fuzzy items). I don't want the seeds touching me, and you couldn't pay me enough to pick one!!!!!! I also don't like any other plant that resembles one. There is one plant called Yellow Goat's Beard I think, and it looks the same but much bigger! I think I'd be petrified of those!!!! Luckily, I've only seen them in pictures. It's odd though, sometimes the fears are not as strong and sometimes very strong. I can look at pictures of them, even sometimes touch the picture, but I find them so repulsive I can't do it for long. We had a cookbook once with a picture of one on the front. I ended up cutting it off and throwing it away. One time in college, one of my friends brought one very near for a few seconds when we were doing an outdoor assignment. I managed to reign in the fears so as not to look like a "sissy" in front of my friends. But then last year I got out of the car one evening just after dark only to find one knee-high and almost touching me on the leg as I opened the car door. I screamed at the top of my lungs and scared the neighborhood. However, if I'm on the lawn mower or the golf cart, they don't bother me as much. My dad has always tried to get rid of most of them, especially near the house. We've gone through gallons and gallons of weed killer. The neighbors know about it and they know that we won't tolerate their having a yard full of them for them to spread all over, so they keep them under control, too. They're almost gone now, but in the early spring when they're really bad, I will definitely alter my outdoor plans if there are a lot of them around. It is probably important that I also explain that I have been legally blind, but with a minor amount of usable vision, since I was born. I also have some pretty significant allergies and asthma now, but we didn't know about that when I was younger. I've often wondered if any other people felt this way. I couldn't imagine in a world of millions of people I'd be the only one. The rest of my fears are pretty logical.. tornadoes, fires, etc. This is the only one that is really unfounded.
