No Clownin Around

From Wikipedia:

Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. It is not uncommon among children, but is also sometimes found in teenagers and adults as well. Sufferers sometimes acquire a fear of clowns after having a bad experience with one personally, or seeing a sinister portrayal of one in the media. A design study carried out by the University of Sheffield found that children are frightened by clown-themed decor in hospitals.[1]Not all sufferers of the phobia experience the same degree of fear.[2]

Suddenly I no longer feel so alone. There's no longer a need to live in fear and shame, avoiding children's birthday parties and county fairs, for fear of those costumed marauders, twisting balloons in unnatural shapes and plotting to eat my flesh with razor sharp teeth. For my phobia has a name, and no doubt a legion of other sufferers.
If I were to review my memories (which appear in my minds eye like a zapruter film for those who wondered how my odd lil brain functions) I'd probably trace the genesis of my phobia to 2 distinct sources.
Ringling Brothers(because c'mon circuses are scary) and Stephen King. I was considering a class action lawsuit, but I'm not a very litigious minded person, and really all the money in the world wouldn't undo the irrational damage that's already been done.
Pennywise is my bogeyman, if not *the* bogeyman. I was convinced he lived in my attic as a child, and refused to use the bathroom at night, because it was right near the aforementioned door to his lair. I still can't comfortably pass by a sewer or subway grate for fear he'll reach up and snatch my just like he did to poor little georgie. I can't listen to the band Pennywise. Maybe I would like the band Pennywise, but their name alone is enough to convince me to stay away. In retrospect maybe the movie "It" wasn't a prime viewing choice for a young child. I just wasn't prepared for the fear scape of Stephen King's imagination at such a tender, impressionable age I guess. In my later years I even tried reading the book in some vain attempt at finding a therapeutic cure. Needless to say that's been filed away in the pantheon of Jenn's bad ides. I slept with a night light for weeks. I'm still in search of a cure. I'm not very confident I'll find one. I guess the avoidance method is a good a one as any. I mean how often in life will I find myself forced to keep company with clowns?
Hey Jenn wanna go to the circus? No thanks I've gotta wash my hair.
Hey Jenn it's little Jimmy's birthday this weekend. Oh, really what time will the clown magic show be over?
I see no problem with that. None at all.
But, while I've got sai King on my mind, I'm currently making my way (slow like molasses) through the last book of the Dark Tower series. It's a bit of daunting task, since it's as thick as a phone book (you should have seen the look of shock on my face when the guy from work I borrowed the book from plopped it into my arms!) but I also think I'm reading it so slowly because I'm reluctant to leave Roland's world. I don't want it to be over, I think I might be a little sad when the ka-tet is no more. I just hope Pennywise doesn't have a hand in their fate. That might ruin my psyche for good!