Fearful Things

Vent, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Fearful Things!

Never mind witches, goblins, vampires and zombies, I can tell you what things kids are really afraid of. I expect you have forgotten all about something in your elder relative's home that scared you!

I was reminded of it this week when my daughter and I replaced a floor vent in both our homes with ones that were more attractive. (Do you like my new one pictured here?)

When I was a small girl, we would go often to my great aunts home on West Broad St. in Westerly. In her large living room and dining room area, there was a hug heating vent in the floor. It must have been created to heat the whole of the downstairs rooms. It was massive. When the furnace roared to life, it caused a maelstrom of dust and air! I was terrified the first time it happened. After that, I avoided walking in that room.

My mother thought I was the most fearful of little children. I didn't like riding in the convertible, didn't like heights and didn't like to recklessly jump off the concrete back steps. Mom was a thrill seeker as long as it did not muss her hair or clothes. She had priorities. 

My grandparents (and my husband's parents) too had radiator heat in their rooms. My daughter told me she remembered being afraid of the noise. See, these childhood memories are worthy of Halloween fright?

I wasn't afraid of the radiators because my grandmother kept the radiators on full blast in both bathrooms. It was like the jungle in there. She hated a cold toilet seat. It was so hot in there, one simply could not breathe. You went in and got out as soon as possible. The towels were toasty warm.