Laughing Spiders!

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Non-fiction, Personal Stories

I’m sharing this story again that ties into my review of Dawn’s book from my prior post. I hope you enjoy again if you’ve already read it. And if you’re reading for the first time, I hope it brings a smile or makes you laugh. 😁

Dad saved my life when I was a little girl! He was my hero, and the unforgettable episode took place when my parents, sisters, and I were at our cabin for a weekend getaway in Big Bear, California. Sugar pines surrounded our little bungalow on the big corner lot in the mountains. We had just finished Mom’s delicious lasagna dinner, and everyone was relaxing in their own way for the rest of the evening. With crayons, I was bringing to life a picture in my coloring book, sitting on our coffee-colored sofa by our stone fireplace, and that’s when Dad noticed the spider on the cushion heading for me at lightning speed. He caught it just before it began the climb onto my leg. In those days, any spider who found itself inside our home didn’t live to see the sunrise the next morning. This moment was traumatic for me, so spiders have been the bane of my existence ever since. Even in my teen years, spiders seemed to follow my every move!

These wee beasts spent much of their time in my bathroom with the sky-blue walls and plush soft matching rugs. Never did they tour my parent’s bathroom. My mind drifts to the morning when I was about to take a shower, getting ready for another day of high school…as I turned the knob and looked up, I watched a spider ride the waves of the cascading waterfall down, down, down. I jerked my head back just in time, and I cringed thinking of that eight-legged creature tangled up in my long brown hair.

Mornings began to fuel anxiety as spider social calls manifested soon after the crack of dawn. The sun brightened the sky and another high school day was on the horizon. I grabbed a towel to dry off after showering when I felt something unnatural. Looking down, I watched in horror as a brown spider scuttled across my chest. I jumped, avoiding a nasty fall in the tub, and brushed the spider off not caring where it landed. I just wanted it off my skin!

I think these creepy-crawlies watched for me so they could plan their next prank. During another shower with my head full of shampoo suds, I spotted a black spider near my feet. The routine my feet performed was not one of a happy dance! With a swish here and there, my foot managed to nudge the scary intruder down the drain with ripples of water. I imagined it whirling into the dark depth of the water system. I quickly rinsed the suds out. Just as I felt calm run through my body, I looked down and noticed that spider climbing out of the drain! This could only happen to me!

I’m not afraid of fangs digging into me. Fear rears its ugly head when they appear out of the blue, startling me out of my wits! Any hope of building armor is hopeless. And they have too many legs; this, combined with their sudden movements of jumping or crawling at high-speed, send me into a tizzy, as my dad used to say. Also, spiders are not pretty. Not to me. The visual doesn’t compare to the beauty of a butterfly. In fact, their creepy appearance propels me into a panic as much as their sudden company!

Even after five decades, I haven’t been able to shake my skittish reactions. Even though I’m a giant compared to the spider, with any fear, the source becomes magnified. So, I’ve diagnosed myself with arachnophobia. And the tale continues…

One incident took place later in life. I’m now a wife and mom with two young children. On an evening like any other while my family was getting ready for bed, I walked through the house locking up. I turned the lights out in the living room, but noticed a dark spot the size of my palm on the carpet. I almost – almost – reached down to touch it, but a bell went off in my subconscious warning me not to. I turned on the light and staring back at me was a black hairy tarantula!

     “Oh, Shit!” I screamed, backing up slowly.

     “Uh, oh! A spider found mom!” My husband, Matt, said to our daughter and son, who thankfully, didn’t share my fear. But he silently questioned the kind of spider that would cause me to shriek. This scenario sounded different.

After I managed to widen the space between the tarantula and me, my feet felt like cement blocks. Fear crept into my veins like a drug. I had never seen a tarantula up close, although I was thankful it stayed put. It didn’t budge. It was not afraid of me. What a fiasco if the tarantula had run! If it had, I would’ve run too! Heebie-jeebies creep up my arms imagining the leggy intruder finding comfort beneath the sofas (that I would never sit on again!).

Matt was taken back when he joined me in the living room and was surprised that I hadn’t passed out! My daughter had instituted the trend of saving spiders with a glass and a paper plate. So, by grabbing those two items, Matt scooped up the uninvited guest while I held the door. Per my request, he walked far enough away from the house before setting the big guy free in the yard. No tarantula was killed in the telling of this event. Our front door had been open earlier in the evening with the screen door closed. Spiders can maneuver through any cracks, but how that tarantula the size of my palm squeezed through baffles me to this day!

A few weeks after Matt had introduced “Harry” to his outdoor residence, my phobia eventually quieted down. Until recently when I sat at the kitchen table typing on my laptop. I noticed a spider crawling over the top of the screen. You have got to be kidding me! It was the color of vanilla and appeared like out of a horror flick, magnified by the white backdrop, growing to an enormous size – my skewed perception! Each leg made its way over the top! Since Matt was home, I yelled for his help. He grabbed the spider-saving tools but was too slow for the speedy spider who was off to the races! So, Matt lobbed the glass to me like we had teamed up for an egg toss! “Oh no, I missed him, too!”

     “Hon, it’s just a spider,”Matt said with a smile and a pinch of courage. He knew Harry’s ugly image had been engrained in my mind, and no matter how much effort I exerted, it was stuck there forever. So, I couldn’t believe my ears, just a spider, but I knew he was teasing.

As it happened, this spider was faster than lightning!

     “He’s on the floor…hand me the glass!”Matt tried again. “Ahh, now I can’t see him; he blends into the tile.”

     “It’s time for the vacuum then; I’m so sorry,” I said out loud. When I finished pushing the vacuum back and forth, relief washed over me because I assumed the spider had been swallowed into oblivion. Then guilt followed because we tried to save the creepy creatures. My emotions were mixed! I sat down at the table again, but not before examining my laptop with eagle eyes to ensure no more spiders needed screen time!

Five minutes later, I saw the spider again!

     “Oh my gosh, Honey, he’s following me!”

     “Who’s following you?”

     “Who do you think is following me?!”

I ignored Matt’s razzing, but a chuckle managed to escape anyway. I grabbed the glass but missed the spider again. Good thing we weren’t on a baseball team! The spider certainly had an agenda – still racing to an unknown destination and much faster than us. My eyes stayed focused on the little fellow as it headed for the living room. He must be having the time of his life – the furniture would be a stellar playground!

     “Just watch, I’ll find him on my chair in the morning,” I said.

     “Could be. Should I make a bigger pot of coffee?” Matt replied, as he hid behind a grin.

After all the commotion, I had survived because we didn’t see the eight-legged visitor again, and extra coffee wasn’t needed in the morning.

However, I admit and without apology that I don’t step into the shower before peeking behind the curtain first. Overcoming this fear most likely won’t happen. But if I can save a spider, and manage to hang onto the glass while it skitters around, then make my way to the door to give it freedom, that’s progress. Amazing progress! Once outside, I gently lay the glass down and with leg synchronicity, the spider crawls out heading to the roses and lantana, making us both sigh with relief.

Neither of my thumbs have ever been green for the garden, and the last thing I wanted to do was deliberately put my hands in a spider’s haven. Nowadays though, I’m in tune with the blooms, so I don’t worry about the creepy-crawlies when I’m offering the blooms a drink. Fear doesn’t have the firm grip that it had in years past.

But have I conquered arachnophobia one hundred percent? No, but I realize this phobia doesn’t prey only on me. Knowing I’m not alone while learning to exist with arachnids, that some are good for gardens, and acknowledging that they’re not out to get me is a work-in-progress. I’ve come a long way since that evening at the cabin when Dad saved my life. Maybe his reaction incited fear. Yet, if the spider had begun its ascent onto my leg, fear would’ve hurled into full force anyway!

And so I wonder, had the spiders been laughing at me when their presence whirled me into a frenzy? My intentions were always good. I simply didn’t want to be roommates. Laughing with me would’ve been perfectly welcomed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Cute spider photo found on the web.

Thank you for stopping by, and for taking the time to read this lengthy story.
Enjoy your weekend! ❤️

My latest collection of poetry, touching on nature, love, and the mysteries of life
that would make a great for any holiday! Click on the image for your copy. Thank you! 💚

58 thoughts on “Laughing Spiders!”

  1. I’m way ahead of you with arachnophobia. I could never live in a place where there are tarantulas. We saw a few in Mexico and that was enough. There are plenty of smaller spiders (and some fairy good-sized ones) that make my life miserable even here in the more northern climes.

    My mother used to scoop up spiders carefully in a dustpan and take them outside. I tried to be kind, as she was, but I’m not proud to say that I’m responsible for many a rainy day. I assume that’s why it rains so much here (step on a spider and it will rain).

    1. I’m glad you understand my phobia, Anneli, and tarantulas aren’t popular around here either. So, where “Harry” came from is mystifying! :) A dustpan, now that’s an idea! Tiny, tiny spiders don’t bother me, but they will grow up, so that’s a problem. Stay safe, my friend, and thanks for reading!

  3. This story is told so vividly, it’s unnerving. My eldest son hates spiders and I would rather not see them, particularly the bigger variety, but I’ve been known to rescue them. So I’d say I’m at least wary. And that tarantula story, omg!!

  5. LOL, Lauren! The first time I saw a tarantula, I nearly fell off my skateboard. My parents drummed it into our heads (my brother and I) to stay away from spiders and snakes. My mother got chased once by a blue racer snake. I still remember her screaming and running across the yard. My husband catches spiders and throws them outside, but if there’s one in the house, I will get bit. I’m not as nice as my husband. Thank you for a very entertaining post!

    1. Hi Dawn, I can just imagine when you saw the tarantula! I’m surprised I didn’t pass out! They’re not normally around here, so where “Harry” came from and how he squeezed into the house remains a mystery! And your mom being chased by a blue racer snake? Yikes, and I’ve never heard of a blue racer, so I’ll have to look them up. The dilemma with Googling spiders or snakes is that images immediately appear, and I don’t even like images of spiders! 🙂 Your husband sounds calm like mine. I’m glad you enjoyed this story. After writing my review for your book, I remembered this and thought it would be fun to share again.
      Stay safe in the jungle! 🥰

  6. Hi Lauren, a lot of people are scared of spiders including my mother. We get a lot of spiders in our garden because we live near a bird sanctuary. I don’t mind them and do protect their nests from TC the spider killer but I do understand the fear.

    1. I’m happy you understand the fear, Robbie, but I have a hunch that you get big spiders, and my nerves would be shot! A few years ago, springtime brought an abundance of house spiders, probably harmless, but spiders, nonetheless. I was close to moving out of our house! 😬😳 Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story and glad for the arachnids who have you in their corner! 😁

  7. Ok, I laughed, Lauren. Peggy feels the same way about spiders, but without the mercy. “If they wanted to live, they would stay outside,” she says. Smack! I’m more of the catch and release philosophy. That doesn’t apply to mosquitoes, however. I joyfully participate in the hunt. Maybe if we had more spiders, they would take care of the mosquito problem. They would probably prefer their mosquitos filled with fresh blood, however…

  8. I did get a good laugh from the spiders following you. I wonder why you’re a spider magnet? I did see a tarantula walking on our driveway. I left it alone. In Palm Springs, we had Black Widows in the yard and in our bedroom! I haven’t seen any here. I was constantly vacuuming the plantation shutters. That’s where they liked to build their egg sacs.

    1. I’m glad my encounters made you laugh, Elizabeth! I don’t know if I’m a spider magnet, or if I just magnify the encounters because of my phobia. My hubby will say that it’s probably the latter. 🙂 Black widows are a different story because they’re poisonous. We don’t get them often, but we have had a few outside. The good thing is that they don’t move fast. The same goes for brown recluse, but I don’t think I could identify one. And just the thought of spider egg sacs makes me woozy! 😳😁 Thanks for reading! 💞

  9. I loved reading this story Lauren… And I can relate as my fear as a child with spiders was intense… Thankfully I over came my fear… I can now catch them using the same method as your daughter..
    However I think if I had seen a Tarantula in my home I doubt I would have stayed put or been as brave…. I tolerate spiders and respect them..
    But as I tell them sorry if I damage a web while gardening… You keep to your space and I keep to mine.. 🙂 and we both shall get on fine 🙂 Co-existence I agree 🙂 ❤ Have a wonderful weekend Lauren xx

    1. Thanks a bunch, Sue! I’m thankful you can relate, but sorry you had an intense time as a child. I do love your philosophy:

      You keep to your space and I keep to mine. I feel the same but with specifics:

      You stay outside! 😁

      I’ve learned to tolerate them like you because I know that most of them are beneficial to the environment. Anyway, I’m happy you enjoyed this story!

      Big hugs! xoxoxo

  11. Heck-to-the-absolute-NO! My blood pressure drops whenever I see a spider (or even its web). I have had a fear of spiders ever since I read The Hobbit (yes, I know that it is irrational). Then, my dad got bit by a brown recluse and almost lost his leg. Luckily, they don’t follow me like they follow you. I would need daily therapy if they did. Lol!

    Yvette M Calleiro 🙂

    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

    1. Haha, Yvette, you know what I’m talking about! 🙂 But your dad being bit is serious, so I wish I could identify those kinds of spiders. I don’t think we have them in our neck of the woods though. So, as much as some spiders are good, some are dangerous too. I think they can smell fear and that’s why they follow me. 🙂 And I’ve had moments when I was close to needing therapy, but I got through it. 😳 Thanks for chiming in! 🥰🌺

  13. Spiders are not aggressive and seek to avoid conflict with humans. Only a limited number are toxic and even those will not attack but bite to protect themselves if they feel under threat.

  14. Spiders 🕷️ here are the harmless kind and seldom found indoors. If you can tolerate a lizard then that’s the answer to controlling spiders. Let them roam around and eat the little guys

  15. Spiders are awful! I can’t see them, but I still fear them, if one got on me, I’d definitely freak out! As for a big one? oh gosh, nooo! I could not take it if a huge hairy spider were to land on me! Get me out of here! Lol!

  16. I’m getting a sense of a supernatural connection here, Lauren. Spiders seem to find you! And in a way this makes sense. Spiders symbolize “artistry, feminine power, ancient wisdom, balance, and interconnection.” That sounds like you. ❤ ❤ ❤

    1. It’s funny, Diana, because of my phobia, I’ve never searched for their symbolism. So, you have enlightened me, thank you, and I appreciate you thinking of me in these ways. 🙂 But I have a hunch that the fear will stay present regardless. 😳😬❤️🕷️

      1. 🙂 I’m not that fond of spiders either, but they do have interesting symbolism. Just scoop them up with the paper and glass and keep putting them outside with a thanks for their supportive message.

  17. Oh now you are a spider magnet, Lauren.. How do they know who they can get a rise out of. I hear the screams from the girls. Hope Harry doesn’t return soon. 😉💕

    1. I guess I am, Cindy. 🙂 But it’s probably because I’m on high alert looking for them so I won’t be surprised. Life! And yes, Harry’s been long gone, but if he ever returns, I’m outa here! 😂😂😂💞

  18. Oh, my, Lauren. I don’t like spiders either and I can relate. It seems they come out of nowhere, especially when I am in the shower. And then there are snakes! I have a terrible fear of slithery things and I won’t even look at then on TV. 🪱

    1. LOL Eugi, I’m glad you understand my silly fear! But to those who live with the fear, it’s BIG! I can’t look at spiders on TV or on a screen either. I don’t like snakes, but because they’re not in my daily life, I don’t fear them. Although, I accidentally swam with a garter snake on a camping trip. A little creepy, but at least it wasn’t harmless. And I skipped using a pit toilet while camping another time because when I opened the door, a garter snake was slithering around the pit. 😬 I slowly backed up, closed the door once outside, and went to the other pit toilet. Oh, the joys of nature in all its glory! 😳😬🕷️🐍

      1. I would have freaked out if I saw a snake aound the pit toliet. Omigosh! Yes, the joys of nature, some I can do without! LOL 😱

      2. Haha! Let’s just say that I was a bit surprised. I know garter snakes are harmless, but I don’t know anything else about them. So, you should’ve seen me
        s-l-o-w-l-y stepping backwards, making my way out the door! 😂😂

      3. I can just imagine that, Lauren. I wouldn’t be s-l-o-w-l-y stepping backwards. I would be running as fast as I could. LOL

    1. Haha, Kamal! I hope you’re not too creeped out, and laughed a bit too. Spiders will always be the bane of my existence, but I’ve learned to coexist with them over the years. Even though I’ll still jump if they surprise me! 😂😂

      1. No no Lauren I did laugh at your story but we get spiders in our house at times and when our Amber was alive we used to get very scared that they need not go near her. Have a great day 😊😊😌😌

  21. Lauren, I get your fear of spiders.

    Although not in the same boat, spiders worry me.

    About 10 years ago, I woke up with flaccid paralysis in three fingers of my right hand.

    The doc told me it was from a spider bite, and showed me an almost imperceptible dot on my thumb mound.

    He gave me cortisone cream. My fingers recovered in about 10 days. Without the cream it could have taken weeks.

    I never saw the spider, it bit me in my sleep. It never returned. I couldn’t sleep for weeks. I don’t trust spiders.

    I get your thing!

    💖💙🫶

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