Complex Numbers

Spiders and Snakes

PROMPT January 6th

Write about something that makes you squeamish. What is icky, gross, or just plain “yuck!” Is there anything that makes other people shiver with disgust that doesn’t bother you?

Shit.

No, I'm not cursing (though I'm certainly not above that); I'm using the technical Anglic word for feces, scat, droppings, number two, etc.

You'd think, what with me being a civil engineer and having designed sanitary sewers and all, that it wouldn't bother me that much, but it does. I know most people are repulsed by it, but I think my aversion goes beyond the normal.

It's so bad that one of the main reasons I don't have a dog is that I'd have to walk it, which involves cleaning up its shit. Even touching the stuff through plastic makes my stomach churn.

I'm in no position to kink-shame, but if your "thing" involves scatology, we have nothing in common.

On the other paw, I'm not bothered by written descriptions of it. As a moderator here, I've read stuff that would make most people flee in holy terror. Doesn't bother me. Someone has to keep some of these interactives appropriately rated, and that someone is often me. As this particular blog is rated at 18+, I won't go into detail here.

So I'll talk about something else that seems to disgust other people that doesn't befoul me in the slightest: snakes.

I honestly don't know why some people are terrified of nope ropes. I mean, sure, some species are venomous. Still others have a painful but nonvenomous bite, but so do dogs and cats, and they're "cute." It doesn't take a whole lot of research to determine which slitherers are deserving of a wide berth. I'm still not disgusted by those varieties, but I respect them.

Spiders don't bother me much, either, unless one is crawling on me or looks like it's about to crawl on me. Or if they're huge. Still, they're not disgusting to me; they're quite beautiful from a distance. Unlike with snakes, though, I can understand others' aversion. All those eyes and legs, you know.

'I don't like spiders and snakes
And that ain't what it takes to love me
You fool, you fool
I don't like spiders and snakes
And that ain't what it takes to love me
Like I want to be loved by you'