I was at a friend's house. Suzanne (my friend) and I were in her front yard and I don't know what she was doing but I was trying to master the pogo stick. Being about 5 or 6, it wasn't an easy task and I wasn't having much luck. I had an idea to balance against a tree to get started... so I did. I went to the closest tree, put my left foot on the pogo stick and went to put my right hand on the tree and SQUISH. I put my hand straight onto a circle of about the same size and that circle was moving. I just remember the horror. It was traumatic. I've always been a sissy and probably always will be.
(A funny little side note that I pointed out to my sister a few years ago: while I am a total sissy, she is the exact opposite and NOT a sissy. Not only is she not a sissy, she's pretty close to the opposite end of that spectrum. On the other hand, my sister it TOTALLY girlie while I'm definitely not girlie. The last time I wore a shoe with any type of heel was probably over 5 years ago and mascara? Forget it.) So, I don't know what the moving squishy circle was but I just knew it had to be a circle of worms and I tried to scrub my hand so hard just to get rid of the feeling. It was an awful thing for a sissy like me. I never saw one of those "worm circles" again... until yesterday. We were in the backyard and I was inspecting the tree, making sure no worms or critters would be falling from it while I was standing underneath and then I saw a circle... and then another... and then another. I was starting to doubt my experience. I mean let's face it, I was little and I've never seen one since. Maybe it was a dream? No. When I saw the living circle, the feeling came back to my hand and I just wanted to scrub it against my jeans to make it go away. Right now I'm getting the willies just thinking about it.
So anyway, approximately 37 years later and the "worm circle" was spotted again. Now I took a closer look this time, not having to run off and scream, and I don't think it was worms... which put me a little more at ease but still. I'm about to post pictures of my tree outback and I don't want to know what it is, ESPECIALLY if it's worse than a worm circle. I don't need that kind of trauma.
