Winning Words 3/19/12
“I’m not scared of snakes and spiders, but I’m scared of butterflies.” (Nicole Kidman) Some things make me smile…like picturing St. Patrick taking a stick and trying to drive the butterflies out of Ireland. Through the years I’ve learned to be understanding of people who have phobias. We all have them. You won’t catch me walking near the edge of Preikestolen (The Pulpit) in Norway. ;-) Jack

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Nor I on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. I can't swim.////FROM JACK: I never have heard of someone in the US Navy who couldn't swim.

FROM S&S IN ILLINOIS: Saw this on Facebook last week. I didn't know if you'd ever seen it before.

////FROM JACK: He would have done better with butterflies, if he could have herded them into the car.

FROM JF IN MICHIGAN: What is it with you tall men and fear of heights?! We took the kids to the Grand Canyon for winter-break last month and Craig was a basket-case the entire time. ////FROM JACK: That's why we each married someone shorter than us.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Smiling here.////FROM JACK: And I was smiling as I wrote it.

FROM DS IN MICHIGAN: There are so many people afraid of clowns which I think is interesting.////FROM JACK: "Coulrophobia" is the word meaning, to have the fear of clowns. I think that part of the origin of clowning was to frighten away evil spirits.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; and when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned and the flames shall NOT consume you. Isaiah 43:2 So take THAT, you old phobias, and be gone. HA! Interesting to be afraid of butterflies, which bring delight to most people, but then phobias are not logical ...snakes are close to the top of my list, tho I have handled them, and kept a big contrictor in my kindegarten classroom for a few months, along with other animals. We gave him to the local Zoo, for which all my students received a free pass to tour the zoo!////FROM JACK: I've heard that Baptists sometimes have used snake handling to show their trust in God. Thanks for confirming that. Many Christians use butterflies as a symbol of Easter. Their cocoon emergence seems to have more relevance to the story of Easter than the bunny.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Spiders aren't my favorite but I can't say I'm afraid of them. I would have to say, going too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon is scary.////FROM JACK: There are plenty of spiders and other critters in outhouses.

FROM HONEST JOHN: Do you get "edgy" when you do that?////FROM JACK: I get edgy just looking at videos of Preikestolen. I once had a church member who was an iron worker on skyscrapers. I was a afraid of doing his job, and he was afraid of doing mine.