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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExMember" data-source="post: 165758">I have shared this at another site but not here. So I think this is a good thread to do so. Here goes:I used to be severely arachnophobic. When I was young I would have panic attacks if I saw a spider. Even in pictures. Not sure why.When I was in grade 4 a teacher's assistant found this out. Turns out that he had a Brachypelma hamorii (or maybe smithi?) that lived in the teachers lounge. He talked me into looking at the tarantula.I went in there and could barely look in the cage. That was the biggest spider I had ever seen! I was terrified. Then the next day I was asked back in the lounge. I went in there and just watched the t. It didn't move much and seemed less intimidating than the day before.I did this every lunch hour for about a week. I loved to go and eat my lunch and "study" the spider.Eventually I got the nerve to ask if the spider could come out of the cage to "play". That's when everything changed for me. I was told "absolutely not" and informed that tarantulas are very fragile. I learned that they could die from small falls etc. So... you mean to tell me that these giant spiders are not savage, tough as nails killing machines that will attack me? I realized then that humans are way more of a risk to tarantulas than the other way around <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> I kept wanting to go into the lounge everyday for a month until the teachers kicked me out lol. So I would just sneak in there at any given opportunity! They eventually banned me!Fast forward several decades and I wouldn't say I liked spiders. But I would keep a few alive in my house to deal with bugs. I wasn't creeped out anymore.Two years ago I started researching tarantulas with the idea of getting one as a pet. I used to have a room mate (about 10 years ago)  that had a little hamorii so I got used to being around them again. Did some research for about a year and ended up going to an expo and came out with a T albopilosum sling. Got used to husbandry and all that. Now I'm totally obsessed and have 15 plus species and around 20 spiders in my care <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> All thanks to that hamorii from the 80's! When I got my juvie hamorii it came full circle.Well that's my story. I would actually suggest getting a jumping spider like Phidippus regius before getting a t. They are fast but easy to take care of and not very intimidating. I don't find the jumping to be an issue. I had one of mine escape one day while doing maintanence and it literally just bolted and got about 2 inches before it was catch cupped and returned. I have had wild zebra spiders jump on my arm and hang out for hours. Cheers [USER=31783]@SwedishArachnophobe84[/USER] !</blockquote>

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