Writer's Block: Too scary!!

[badseed1980]

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YES! Peter, Paul, and Mary did a kids' album called Peter, Paul, and Mommy. This record (yeah, we had it on vinyl) was a staple of my childhood years. In general, I loved it. But there was this one song based on a Shel Silverstein poem called "Boa Constrictor." It's basically about being swallowed by a boa constrictor. It starts at the person's feet, and ends up at the head, at which point there's just a "GULP!" sound. It scared the heck out of my sister and me when we were kids. Her more than me, I think, but I was still scared of it.

The other two things I was afraid of for no good reason were spiders (and I still am, thank you. Nothing should move like that.) and my Uncle Jackie. Uncle Jackie turned out to be a drug addict and went to jail, after my aunt divorced him. He wasn't a blood relative. So I at least had some good reason to be instinctively wary of him: he wasn't a good guy, really.

But yeah, the boa constrictor song, man...freaky!

Looking at the lyrics to the other songs on that album brings back some memories, though. Stuff I'd forgotten that I'd forgotten, you know? Cool.

Comments

[beah.livejournal.com]

This is especially funny to me because my family very nearly acted the song out at Passover this year. My sister and I found it hysterical growing up, we loved it!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I liked it when I got a little older, but when I was a really little kid, I hated it!

[phoenix-blue.livejournal.com]

*Smiles* Have you ever watched Stargate SG-1? The Replicators squick my wife out because of the way they move. And I'm still a bit arachnophobic as well because of a traumatic experience I had a few years ago, wherein I squashed a huge spider, only to have it practically explode into a million baby spiders. It was like something right out of a horror movie, and I won't lie: I turned into a 5-year-old girl.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU, I COULD HAVE LIVED MY ENTIRE LIFE WITHOUT IMAGINING THAT EXPERIENCE. o_O

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

Me, too. *thinks of calling friend recovering from surgery for a Vicodin or three*

Cute story in one of the Sweet Potato Queens books about a woman who was resting on the new couch freshly delivered to her new apartment, when she turned and discovered herself face to face with a spider "the size of a dachshund." The line describing her reaction will never, ever leave me, because I think I've done the same:

Naturally, she levitated to the ceiling on the opposite side of the room and pondered what to do.

She wound up calling the cops, who nearly arrested her until they saw Godzilla the spider, damn near shot it, and then all decided she should return the couch as defective.

[phoenix-blue.livejournal.com]

I could have lived my entire life without experiencing that experience, so, yeah. ;)

[reckless-saturn.livejournal.com]

Oh I love, love the boa constrictor story especially the illustration in his book. You see the big long boa constrictor with a little kid in its body and all you see of the kid is the feet covered in striped socks. I am pretty sure that is the right memory of that illustration, but it was something like that. It used to make me laugh. But I never did hear it in song form, so it might have been scary.

God I was afraid of so many things when I was little. But what seems completely silly now is that I was afraid of this horror ride that I used to ride on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. I just point out the location because truly it was a very dinky ride. I remember I was wearing a duke's of hazzard shirt- I loved that show and I remember my mom not being happy that someone would buy me that shirt- but I thought the Bo & Luke would keep me safe. I was wrong. I spent the entire summer and the rest of the year living in fear and terror of that haunted house ride.

That was fun. Thinking a little bit about the past. Thanks.

[beah.livejournal.com]

I was *terrified* of that ride for years! It still makes me scream every time, but at least now I enjoy it :)

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

So THAT'S where that FUCKING song came from. My parents used to sing it to me and laugh like maniacs when I started screaming the closer they got to the head. I was maybe 5.

My mother tried to sing that song to my daughter; I bodily removed my child from the room. She has not tried since.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

So glad I'm not the only one!

[disownedheidi.livejournal.com]

I had nightmares about that song

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

So I am supported in my fear by both you and madamruppy! I feel better now! :)

Oh, I meant to try to listen to your voicemail when I had a minute yesterday but I completely forgot...I will check it and get back to you.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

pssst! When can I call you?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Crap! Sorry, forgot to respond. Um...tomorrow evening at 7:30 eastern?