Here is my second post about scary stuff! This post too, was inspired by a "This American Life" podcast. In the podcast the narrator is explaining how he was afraid of practically everything. At night these fears kept him from going to the bathroom, so instead he decided to pee in various places such as the carpet or the rug in his grandmas nearby room. I myself can relate to having been so scared of the dark that it caused me to wet the bed until much later than usual. However, the podcast brought to mind a nightmare I had as a child that also explained my dislike of Michael Jackson.
Recently with Jackson's death I've pondered why so many people "loved" him and I, a lover of the Jackson Five and music in general could never warm up to him as a solo artist. The revelation I had after listening to the podcast suddenly answered that question. I suddenly remember the content of that traumatizing dream 20 years after the fact.
The essence of the nightmare can be explained by a hybrid of the following two videos. The setting was hall that separated my room from the bathroom. You have to understand the hall was lined with mirrors so it made everything doubly terrifying. The night mare occurred shortly after seeing Michael Jackson's Thriller and this Sesame Street video. In my night mare Michael Jackson is wearing the same red jacket and although he doesn't turn in to a were-cat and he is dancing in the hall with alligators. The vision of that nightmare was so terrifying that I dared not transverse the hall to the bathroom. As I have grown older I had forgotten the nightmare, stopped wetting the bed and even grew out of my fear of the dark- maybe not completely, but I am a lot less scared than I used to be. However my dislike of Michael Jackson remained. I am glad I finally pinpointed where my dislike originated and only hope in my mind Michael can Rest In Peace.
4 comments:
and all this time I thought it was because you were a deep sleeper. I understand so much more about you now.
I don't know...combining those two videos into one seems like it would make for a pretty awesome music video. Add a hallway with mirrors, and wow!
I think what adults think will scare children doesn't always align with the facts. When I was little, I didn't really mind scary books and movies, but I was absolutely terrified of Brer Rabbit's tar baby, and the first recurring nightmare I can remember involved Mickey Mouse. Maybe parents should be a little more concerned about seemingly innocuous shows like Sesame Street...
And that particular episode of This American Life made me scared to have children. Ew.
Im afraid of the dark still too...if I have to sleep in a house or apartment alone, I totally get freaked out.
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