I did it.

[scaz]

I have posted about my fear of balloons, which I am planning on overcoming, but I also have a fear of birds and feathers. It is a phobia, my Uncle took me to Trafalger Square when I was 4 and showed me how to feed the sparrows, protecting me from the big pigeons all the time, and some idiot tipped an entire packet of bird food over my head, I have been petrified of them ever since, to the point of refusing to go in my kitchen cos there were feathers in there!

Recently I took my kids and 3 neices to a local Stately Home for a fun day, and they had a falconry display.
3 Nieces said, Aunty Scaz, can we hold the birds? PLEASE! but can you do it first cos we are scared.

I refuse point blank to have a child scared because I am afraid. So I did it!

This is me, holding Molly the Owl, scared senseless but refusing to be beaten..

there is a light at the end of the tunnel people, embrace it and it gets brighter!

[Annie0904]

Well done scaz :yesyes:

[scaz]

Thank you!

[Tessar]

How amazing is that. A wonderful achievement and all the better because you put the children first but to do that you had to overcome your own fear to accomplish that. It takes real guts to do that and I love that picture too.

[scaz]

Thank you Tessar,
My kids are my world, and how can I look my daughter in the face and say "It's ok sweetie, it won't hurt you!" while backing out of the way?
I am applying for all of our passports, I AM going to achieve my dream of going to Norway, the home of the Vikings and swimming in a fjord, and my mind isn't going to stop me! I AM going to beat my fear of planes, and look my 3 kids in the face and say "There, Mam did it, so can you!"

Lead by example I suppose!

[Annie0904]

Scaz that is lovely of you to overcome your fears for your kids. We were all going to Portugal one year and I said I wouldn't be able to make it so my kids said "Mam if you don't go, we don't go" so I had no choice really...I went. I cried all the way there but I did enjoy it when I got there :)

[Tessar]

Yay for you too Annie. I am pretty scared of flying, but I went abroad with my partner & 2 friends, I was so bad they thought I'd run away at the gate. But having decided I was going to do it, worked with my therapist, done masses of research (I knew everything I needed to know about the plane, where we would sit, how long the flight was, bla bla bla) when it came to it no way was I going to back out.
I reckon scaz that you can do it. I won't deny it will have it's moments of course. Like Annie there might be tears along the way. I won't deny that I cried on my first flight. I cried during the holiday too as it was a big emotional thing. But I'd much, much rather have shed those tears in achieving what I did than have to never face any fear and live a less fulfilling life.

[scaz]

I was honest with them that I was scared, but I said "Look, she doesn't want to hurt me kids, it's Aunty Scaz's mind working too fast for her again, and if she can do it, what can you do??"

I wanted to post my picture to say to people, guys it is a scary thing to do, and yes I would have gladly run like hell in the oposite direction, but it is SO worth doing!
I can now have my breakfast in the garden and listen to the birds tweeting, and put out fat balls for them... My kids can go and feed the ducks without me wanting to break for it..

There is a way out of panic, sometimes it takes someone very small to show you the way!

[kittikat]

You done amazingly well scaz, and you look so relaxed in the picture too :yesyes:

I have not seen your post about being frightened of balloons...I will have a search for it as I too have this irrational fear!

Good luck with all that you plan to do in the future, a very inspiring post.

Kitti :hugs:

[scaz]

thank you Kitty <3

[Magic]

I have a phobia of birds. When i was about eight we had a pet bird cannot spell the name-- called Joey,anyway-- he was getting on in age. We use to let him out of his cage to fly about the room and he landed on the back of my neck.
He did not move for ages and my mum looked and he had died there.
The thing is-- he was entwined in my hair and both my mum and dad had a struggle
unraveling Joey.I was upset because he had died there on my neck.:weep:
Scaz, Well done for holding the owl:)

[scaz]

Thanks Magic, and what a sad story.
It might help to think he died on a person he loved very much, but I can understand why you got scared.

I know my kids next question is Mam can we have a budgie, but I have the excuse of Sorry we have a cat!!

I look forward to hearing of you being happier about birds too soon.

[Magic]

Ahh Bless you Scaz,thats the word i could not spell "budgie".
I had a thing about cats, because of an incident when i was small and i had a fear of them. We had a new next door neighbour who had two cats.
Over the years she has had many cats replacing the ones that had died.
I remember the first time she asked me to look after them while she went on holiday,i felt awful to refuse. I explained why.
Now after over 30years I am ok to feed them on occasion, but I still cannot stroke
them. Now if she had dogs I would be ok,as we have had dogs ourselves.:hugs:
Take care