Along Came A Spider... Randi Purser

Did you know that arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is one of the most common fears in the world? It affects approximately 10% of men and 50% of women worldwide, myself included. This past July, a man residing in West Seattle attempted to kill a spider in his home using a can of spray paint and a lighter, resulting in a fire and $60,000 worth of damage. Although this man ended up with many more issues than a simple spider on his laundry room wall, his bravery is commendable. When such situations arise involving these small 8-legged demons, I find myself yelling out for a family member to “come quick! It’s an emergency!”

I was once tanning outside in my driveway when quite possibly the largest spider in all of Radnor, Pennsylvania, crawled onto my stomach. If the track coach here at UR had seen the speed at which I sprinted out of my pool chair into my house, I would have been recruited on full scholarship no questions asked. Another day, I was relaxing in my bedroom when I happened to notice a terrifying jet- black spider in the corner of where two walls met. Unfortunately I was home alone, so I was forced to take matters into my own hands. I ran into the cleaning supplies room and grabbed the Swiffer sweeper (the extendable...