Scary Movies

Although I had a fascination with Halloween and creating haunted houses with my friends in each others' basements as a kid, I am terrorized by horror films.  I have this distinct memory of being about nine years old, and my parents watching the beginning of a movie or police drama, where the wife is drowned by her husband in the bathtub.  I went to bed, laid awake for hours, and after finally going to sleep, awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.  Ever since, I can't handle watching anything remotely scary.  I'm okay with reading books where murders take place; I just don't want the visual imprint.

Needless to say, I've never actually gone to a scary movie at the theatre.  Fortunately, my husband lost interest in those types of movies after his teen years, so he has never even bothered asking.  Early in our marriage, he did try renting a few borderline scary movies, telling me they wouldn't be that bad.  Lesson was learned when he had to escort me every time I wanted to go upstairs for the next week. The few times when he has turned the channel and 'Halloween' or worse yet, 'Chuckie' is on, I basically say to him, "You don't really want your laundry done for the next few weeks, right?"  Because there is no way in hell I'm going to be going to the basement to do laundry after that!  He goes back to channel surfing very quickly.  Works like a charm!

So, how is it that I wound up with two offspring who are obsessed with scary movies?  Eldest and Youngest have spent a month talking about 'Mama' (and when you say it, you have to whisper it in a creepy way), anxiously awaiting its release in theatres.  Today was their day, off to celebrate MLK Day with Chipotle and 'Mama.'  I told them that if they are scared of me for the next few weeks, I will have no pity!