Scoliodentosaurophobia

There have been many times in my life when I've scoffed at girls who scream when they see a spider or other small harmless creature that can easily be annihilated.  I roll my eyes and think of how they are giving females a reputation for being weak.  Well today I found out that contrary to my prior beliefs, I am no better than these girls.  I'm amazed at when I look at how I started and ended my day today, both with close animal encounters.  I went for a walk this morning, as I've started doing before work the last couple of weeks, and as I was looking down at my ipod picking out some music I nearly walked into a monkey, literally.  I looked up and he was right in front of me maybe a couple of feet away sitting in middle of the road.  My heart rate immediately spiked and images of Rogue Chimp (any other Animal Planet lovers?) flashed through my mind.  But, I veered to the side of the road and was able to keep myself collected.  The monkey stayed put and I continued on my walk.  Fifteen hours later, I'm getting ready for bed and as I walk into the bathroom I notice a gecko scurrying around on the wall.  I immediately leave the bathroom, close the door, and go to get reinforcements.  Rajen, who works for the Khannas, came to my rescue and used a broom to shoo the gecko away.  Unfortunately instead of going out the window it bolted for the door, for me.  A noise came out of me that might have resembled the squeal of a pig, and I ran..  This tiny little creature, no more than a couple of inches long, elicited the sort of reaction that would barely have been appropriate if I had walked into a room with a python. I know it is completely illogical, I could have stepped on it and that would have been that.  So why such a panic when this morning an animal that actually could have done me some harm did no more than up my heart rate? I don't have the answer, all I know is that I'm going to bed tonight humbled, realizing I'm not quite as tough as I'd like to think.