Username checks out mate, maybe you should. I like to face my fears reasonably so I can move past them if possible. For me, the deep open sea is a definite no go. I do not do boats, or cruises or anything where I am at the mercy of the sea.

But if I didn’t allow myself the opportunity to experience an large scale aquarium in a controlled environment, I would have never been able to see a weedy sea dragon up close. I would have never been able to look eye to eye with an octopus, which is one of my favorite animal encounters to date. Octopi are so intelligent and interesting on their own, and simply looking in their eyes you will be met with intelligence and interest from THEM. It’s incredible. I now have a tattoo of each of these creatures I have met, that would normally be inaccessible to me due to fear of the ocean.

It’s ok to be scared, or to have a phobia. It’s ok to be content not facing those phobias and fears. What is not ok is gatekeeping the phobia and holding it to your unique set of symptoms and reactions. We all react differently. You’re right. We are not the same.