As hard as I’ve been working toward overcoming fears, sometimes they still sneak up out of seemingly nowhere. That’s when someone walks out from behind a dumpster and has the nerve to stare at you as if you did something wrong as you SCREAM in their face. And by you, I mean me. My horror could not be mistaken. I was absolutely terrified. Clearly there’s more to this story. You see, I’m scared of dumpsters. Perhaps I’ve mentioned it before? I’m fearful of someone jumping out from inside one or, please don’t let this ever happen to me, someone being found sans heartbeat. The news makes it sound like this happens all the time. I don’t know if it does or not, but I worry about it. As luck would have it, I don’t want to be anywhere near gruesome dumpster discoveries so I avoid them at all costs.
The problem is I have a job where I’m expected to remove trash from inside the building and deposit it into the dumpster behind. This should be easier than it sounds and that’s saying something. Typically, I can ask a favor of someone else to take out the trash. Except when they’re gone. Alternative B is to let the trash pile up which is really no alternative at all. Are you grasping the predicament?
So in doing what is right, I took the trash out by myself to the scary dumpster. As I finished tossing the bags overhead, I turned to walk back to the building and a man came out from behind the dumpster. I screamed for a solid 5 seconds – mouth open, bloody murder-style screamed. Then I cursed a lot and literally ran back inside. I’m not apologizing for probably scaring the man, too, because he had to have known I was there. I had 4 trash bags to heave over the top of the dumpster! I’d been there several minutes! He should have stayed hidden until I walked away. I believe that’s a logical and reasonable expectation.
Nonetheless, my heartbeat has returned to normal. The trash is safely in the dumpster confines. And I may never, read: NEVER, go near another dumpster ever again. I’ll pay a nice person to take it outside if that’s what it takes. But it won’t be me.
I also believe my cardio workout is now complete. It took well over 20 minutes for my heart rate to return to a normal level. Always looking on the bright side.
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I ask you –
What are you afraid of?
Have I traumatized you with my dumpster story?
Tell me what the going rate for a trash taker outer, please.
Running on Fumes 