Things That Go Bump in the Night

In October of last year (2011), my wife, Kim, and I bought a house. Not only is it the first house we've purchased, it's the first house we've lived in, period.

We lived in an apartment for the first two years of our marriage, before we decided to step our game up. Boy, did we ever.

It's been a big change, but one of the biggest changes is the issue of security. Now, you need to be aware that we live in a small town called Gloucester. We also live in a small part of that already small town.

Most of our neighbors are old. Really, really old. We like it that way. It was honestly a big selling point for us.

So, with that said, you should know that it's totally inexcusable for me to ever worry about our safety. There's virtually a zero-percent chance that we will ever have issues with break-ins, theft or violent crime.

But that doesn't stop me from doing a double-take every time I hear a sound, late at night. It's different now. When we lived in an apartment, there was one door, and it was bolted shut. We also lived on the second floor, so getting in through a window was going to be difficult, at best. 

We now live in a two-story house (plus a finished basement). We have three different doors that could be used as a point of entrance, plus countless windows.  

Sometimes, I hear noises. It's never anything major. Usually, the source of the disturbance is a bug bouncing off the window, the cat pretending to stalk invisible prey or just the air conditioner noisily cutting on.

But I still haven't gotten used to the noises.

I'm the man of the house, the first and last line of defense. It's my worst nightmare that anyone would ever invade the sanctity of our domain and do anything that could endanger my wife and our unborn child.

Because of this, I've been known to walk the premises with the tiny shovel from the fireplace. I don't know what I'd do with it if I ever happened upon an unwelcome intruder, but one of us would be going to the hospital. (Decide amongst yourselves who the unlucky victim would be.)

Ultimately, it's all just in my head. It isn't real, and I'll get used to the dumb noises. For now, it's a process I'll just have to settle into.

Don't we do that with other things?

How often do we get freaked out and paranoid over something, only to find out the big deal was only in our minds?

It reminds of the scene in Home Alone where Kevin McAllister goes down to the basement and finally tells the furnace to "shut up."

Maybe it's a physical condition that you've Googled and are currently fearing the worst case scenario.

Maybe it's a creditor who you're scared to death of, but they might just chill out if you'd have a 10-minute conversation with them and work out a payment plan.

Maybe there's something you need to tell a spouse, family member or close friend, and it's acting as a wedge in your relationship.

Whatever it is, don't live in fear today. You can't keep running around your house with a tiny shovel, but it's only going to make you more fearful.

Be honest about what you can control and what you can't. Do the best you can with what you have, and then just let go of what's eating you.

Fear will eat you alive if you let it. Don't let it. Not today. Go downstairs and tell your furnace to "shut up!"


What's eating you today?