Lion, I have the same discomfort about people behind me. I wouldn't call it a fear anymore, just a discomfort. I think a fear is something I think I have no control over. Now I can control how close someone stands to me; I can simply walk away! It used to be that my palms would sweat, I would sweat, my heart race, and I felt trapped. Now I'm more likely to say, "hey bud, give me some space, why don't ya." In a restaurant, I cannot be comfortable if my back is to the door or to an open space. I cannot stand it when I'm in a position where the waiter comes to the table from behind me. I have to have my back to the wall. It's easy for me to know where these discomforts come from. What matters now is how I deal with it. If I'm out with friends, I simply assert that I would be more comfortable in the spot to the back. I used to not be able to go to movies because the seats are so close I'd feel claustrophobic. Now I just move until I'm comfortable. It's interesting what you said about your bored child, Lion. And Julie, I lived in Arizona and had a tarantula on the inside windshield of my car! I bet Billy Bob was beat with some sticks of old furniture. LLL