I remember being terrified of cockroaches when I was in elementary school. They were everywhere in Florida. When I was about twelve or thirteen I was jolted out of a nightmare at some point after midnight, convinced that a roach had crawled into my mouth. When I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, I stepped on one, which really scared the hell out of me. But then I flipped on the kitchen light and was horrified to see dozens of them scurrying into the baseboards and under a kitchen rug. I started screaming as if I was in an actual horror movie. It was traumatizing. So I found this transcription of a podcast fascinating: Forty years ago, scientists did the impossible. Why doesn’t anyone remember?
It was like one day, they all simply disappeared. By the time I got to college, roaches were no longer a daily issue. And it was like they never were. But I must have some sort of PTSD because I still store glasses upside down in the cabinets, and I’m fanatical about crumbs or food being left unsealed. Does anyone else have these residual fears?
link via kottke