Some people have fears of snakes. Others of heights. Many people are afraid of spiders. Me? I was born with the most embarrassing fear you could imagine. I’m am afraid of peanut butter sticking to the roof of my mouth.

Most people scoff and tell me that I’m being silly. Still, since I was a child I can always remember telling people I was allergic to peanuts to cover up.

At seventeen, I decided my fear was riddiculous. I ate a classic PB&J.

It stuck. Suddenly I was suffocating. Drowning. I would die, emersed in peanut butter. I shoved my hand into my mouth frantically clawing at the ghastly brown goo. I vomitted.

To this day the phobia remains. I occasionally have nightmares about one of the most harmless substances on Earth.