Career News 24/7: The Cynical Girl: F@%k It Friday: Overcoming Fears

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Cynical Girl: F@%k It Friday: Overcoming Fears

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 03:45 AM PST

I wonder how many of you are afraid of spiders? How many of you are afraid to fly? I wonder how many of you have OVERCOME those fears?

I am sorta afraid of buses. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh… it’s not crazy. In February 1996, an IRA bomb detonated prematurely on a bus here in London. My roommate and I heard a noise and then sirens. She looked at me and said, “I hope that wasn’t a bomb.”

Uhm, yeah, it was.

Between the Docklands bombing AND being in the tube when they disabled a bomb at Charing Cross AND also the fear of mad cow AND being here in London on 7/7/05, I was pretty sure that I would never ride public transport ever again.

So back to my point… I haven’t been on a city bus since 1996… because I have no need to go on a bus… ever. But this is the year I stop being a dork about stuff like this. No need to live in fear, right? So I went on a city bus, this week, and it was totally fine.

I didn’t die.

I didn’t even have a panic attack.

I just got on the bus and got off a few stops later.

I think throwing yourself into something is the best way to overcome fear.

What do you think?