SleeplessSongbird

Posted Saturday, April 16, 2022

2y

INTJ

Aries

8

7

I Made Someone Laugh Today Because Of a Spider.

Storytime! Just because this moment was too hilarious on reflection to not share. Apologies in advance for any spelling errors I missed, my phone's keyboard likes to commit mutiny. Today I had to go to Fred Meyers, which in my area has become a bit of a mall over the years as the store is large enough it offers not just groceries and produce, But gardening, home furniture and tools, car accessories, hunting gear, but also tech and clothing. My area is fairly remote, so I am unsure if this is normal for these types of stores, but having at least one store going all out with variety does come in handy when you live in an area where there are few shops that offer much in the way of work clothes and you have no time to shop online or wait for a package. Now I had to go to the store as my work pants had accidentelly gotten shredded in the upper leg beyond my sewing and stitching capabilities, and I've been needing new clothes anyways, so I decide to splurge and get two new pairs of pants, and to my delight I found some that meet work requirements until the new scrubs we've been waiting on come in, and which I can also wear in my spare time as they are quite comfy. (I admit I fully endorse yoga and sport pants as both day-to-day and activity wear, not going to lie they are my favorite. 😂) Personally, I am not the greatest fan of Fred Meyers as they are not great towards their employees and often are overpriced, but suffice to say I was at least content with my purchase today as the pants were something I needed immediately and were 30% off. After the mission is successfully accomplished and I had some free time, I decide to wander as I enjoy people watching and window shopping just to explore and get ideas for my living space. I adore the flower and home decor section in particular, and there happened to be an island of spring lillies on display with some very pretty glass eggs that caught my eye. They had been made to look like the glass was "crackled" and slowly fracturing. Intrigued, I went to lift up a baby pink one and had to bite my inner cheek to keep from shrieking and dropping the obviously pricy glass item because, *SURPRISE*, there was a panicked Grey spider roughly the size of a nickel or quarter that had been apparently making its home on the egg and which quickly scurried from the glass piece onto my arm, and ducked into the folds of my wrist brace, which I wear due to having a damaged wrist from an old sports injury. Now, I am 5'10 and am considered mediumly taller compared to most other women in my area. There are some who are taller than I, but typically, I stand out, and I also get noticed because of my hair and because I tend to prefer dark colors clothing-wise as a: they are good for my work, and b: I happen to be inclined to believe that as black is made up of all colors, those who wear black often are typically wearing rainbows and all the happy colors one can possibly think of. Sarcasm aside, in a mall full of retail workers and normal folk out and beginning their day, needless to say I stand out. Especially as I'm sure I had gone chalk white and was hastily putting a glass egg down quickly and stripping off my brace, threw it to the ground in controlled panicked, then hastily stripping out of my cardigan and shaking it profusely. Now, taking a moment to explain something, and that is that as a child I suffered acute Entomophobia, a fear of insects, due to a bad incident where I had been playing and rolling down a hill with friends and managed to not only end up rolling down a hill full of stinging nettles, but also landing on a wasps nest at the bottom. Suffice to say, I don't care for insects except for moths and butterflies since, and I'm not to keen on arachnids either in-person, although typically I don't kill them like some do when confronted with them. They do help with the insect population after all, so I prefer to move them out of the way onto a plant or outside. This wasn't always the case though, I'll admit. Spiders used to freak me out, but a friend whose parents were zoologists helped me get over that fear by introducing me to Rosie, her personal African tarantula, and making me sit with said spider until I relaxed (after about 3 hours she was kind enough to tell me Rosie had been de-venomed.) I'm better with spiders than I used to be since the little once are visually less intimidating after that experience, but I don't care to be surprised by them. This time I was surprised. And not willing to take a chance it could be venomous, as we have quite a few species here which are deadly. Keeping the scream I wanted to let out remain internal, I did the only rational thing I could think of in that instant, and started mildly stripping off the outer articles of clothing I had on as it could have gotten into them, and I was determined not to get bitten (I tend to wear two to three shirts including my scrub top underneath my jackets as it is often cold here. So don't worry, I was far from showing my birthday suit. 😂) Enter Concerned lady: Concerned lady is a polite, slightly older petit blond woman I have had a few chance encounters with in passing over the years. I would describe her character as a walking ray of sunshine, as she always seems happy when she's out. We seem to shop about the same time frame, and a few times have seen each other at restaurants or the local bar as there are few places to eat out here. It's a small town, so even if you don't know someone personally, you at least recognize a familiar face from time-to-time. The few times I have seen her and said hello, she's been pleasant to talk to. I'm not sure what she thinks of me, but she seemed to recognize I was acting out of character and was definitely concerned when she saw me taking my cardigan jacket off and shake it. She slowed her cart and looked concerned qnd quizzical qs I edge out of the way and sheepishly look down towards her (she is *Really* petit) and explain the situation with one word "Spider." 😳😅😰 This tiny, Concerned lady let's out one of the largest bellowing laughs I have ever heard and exclaims "OH no that's aweful!" Makes sure I'm okay, qnd carries on with her morning. Thankfully, I wasn't bitten, and the spider apparently ran back to the flower island as I didn't see it when I inspected my clothing. I finished looking around, and went back to my flat to shower, do laundry, and spoil my dog. Anyways, that's the end of the story. Hoped you enjoyed my quirky little tale. 😅💗 (edited)