A Tale of the Xenophobe

You all will be so proud of me.
Yesterday I was sick and stayed home from church and I was flipping through channels and Signs was on TV. Now, I have an extreme phobia when it comes to aliens. Aliens just really scare me. Granted, I am easily frightened, but aliens put me on the verge of hyperventilating and having heart attacks. It's right up there with my fear of having an office job for the rest of my life and Hilary becoming president. The mere mention of ET puts me into a panic.
I have watched Signs on two other occasions. The first was in theatres with Jenna and Sarah. I sat between them and watched a total of 13 minutes of the actual movie. The rest of the minutes were spent with my hands over my face or burying my head in Jenna's shoulder moaning, "Why did I pay money to come see this? Why did I pay money to come see this?" Sarah and Jenna were dumbfounded at how I could be so petrified.
The second time was at Janelle and David's house one night. I of course did not pick the movie; it was chosen beforehand. I had the misfortune of sitting on the floor directly under a skylight. When Joaquin Phoenix looks up at the ceiling and says, "We didn't board the attic door," I threw a blanket over my head and prayed for morning.
So with that background you all should be so proud that I kept the station on 54 and watched Signs all the way to the end. I didn't even turn my head away when you can see that alien's reflection in the TV screen. I hate that part. Of course, the scariest part is when you see the alien on the Brazil home video, but fortunately we'd already passed that part when I started watching.
I feel like I'm making progress with my fears. I've almost gotten over my fear of Larry King completely. His creepy suspenders still make me uneasy, but I don't dive for the remote when he comes on the TV. And with me being able to watch Signs now, who knows when I'll be able to make it through Alien or ET? That will be a glorious day. But it will likely take a bit more therapy.