Fear of falling. When I was four, I was in an accident (fell out of a shopping cart, hit the back of my head on a pipe, and my forehead was cut by the falling shopping cart). Ever since then, I become paralyzed whenever I’m in a situation that could be a potential falling hazard. For example, when riding the crisscross, multi-level escalator in Macy’s (formerly Marshall Fields) in downtown Chicago, the optical illusion causes me to panic. I’ve had to ask whoever was with me to hold my hand and help me take the escalator. This fear isn’t for every potential hazard, just ones in which I don’t feel like I can protect myself from falling. The funny thing is, though, I’m not afraid of heights as long as I feel secure.