I wouldn't consider myself very nervous or high-strung, but considering how easily I get startled or scared, I may have to re-think that.
The Mister is very light on his feet, and at least once a day, he comes up behind me and scares the shit out of me. Not on purpose, mind you, just because I haven't heard him and he starts talking to me when I didn't know he was there. I've suggested he start wearing a bell, and he's suggested that I get my hearing checked.
It's happened a few times at work, too. The counter where I mix the colour formulas makes me stand with my back to the door, and inevitably someone comes in the mixing room, thinking I've heard them, and starts talking to me. I jump out of my skin and suffer a mild coronary, and then I answer their question. We had a new assistant one day, who did that while introducing himself to me. He said it was the best first day he ever had at any job.
When I was a teenager, someone gave me a life-sized poster of Humphrey Bogart for my birthday. I hung it on the inside of my bedroom door, but had to take it down after a couple of weeks; I kept waking up in the middle of the night in a mild seizure because I thought there was a man standing in my doorway. It would take ages for my adrenal glands to calm down and let me go back to sleep.
I never had to share a room with anyone much, and was used to sleeping by myself. When the Mister and I first got married, I had a couple of incidents where I'd wake up a bit and then leap out of bed in fear when I realized I could hear someone else breathing...."there's someone in the room with me!!" Then I'd remember I was married. The Mister can laugh about it now, but was really pissed back then. Have all the panic attacks you want, but don't mess with the Mister's sleep.
Today I managed to scare myself. I was awake really early this morning, so I got up to go out in the living room to read for a bit, planning on going back to bed. I turned on the light in the living room, and then went to find my book, and as I came back into the living room, caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window and for a split second was convinced there was someone outside looking in. In the exact same bathrobe as me. It scared the snot out of me.
I'm not sure if I need Valium or new glasses.
3 comments:
Hey, Mrs. Loudshoes. I remember when we were teenagers I made the mistake of touching your face when you were asleep. I had to move pretty quickly to avoid your fist as it startled you awake. I feel for your mister. Then again, I feel for mine as well. When we were first married, he woke up in the middle of the night with a sore face. In the morning he discovered dried blood in his moustache. Apparently I had rolled over in my sleep and, unaccustomed to sharing my bed, accidentally bopped him on the nose. Almost 29 years later, he still hasn't let me forget it.
You're in phase one, wait until phase two begins...when you start thinking you see things move in the corners of your eyes.
Oh, Jude, believe me, I'm there. I just keep telling myself, "it's the cat, it'st the cat", so I don't jump and scream like a little girl every hour or so.
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