General

Have you ever touched something disgusting?  I used to scream and run whenever I found any bugs, such as maggots, earthworms, and caterpillars.  However, after one particular experience of having to pick up lots of maggots and put them into a container very quickly in the matter of a few minutes, I became brave.

I was working as a flight attendant 6 years ago.  One day, I was on a flight from Incheon to Los Angeles.  There were more than 400 passengers and the airplane was going to land at the Los Angeles International Airport in two hours.  All the lights were off and the passengers were either watching movies or sleeping.  The cabin was so quiet you could hear the air conditioning.  Suddenly, I heard people screaming and making a fuss.  I wondered if there was a fire or an emergency on the plane.  When I got there, some passengers were still screaming, and others were running to other places.  One passenger told me that many bugs were under their seats.  I turned on a flashlight and looked.  Many small white maggots were crawling on the floor.  Although I had been very scared of worms since I was a child, my only thought was that I should get rid of the maggots quickly and calm the passengers down.  And so, I was able to catch all the crawling maggots, without fear, in just five minutes.  After I got rid of them, I investigated where they came from; I looked around everywhere, but I couldn’t find the source.  An old man with a bandaged foot told me that it was his fault.  He continuously mumbled apologies and could not lift his head.  He was Filipino and had a serious problem with his foot.  In the Philippines, maggots are commonly used to help wounds heal and inhibit infection.  He was using maggots for his foot treatment.  When he loosened his bandage to scratch it, the maggots escaped.

That day, I learned that some unique experiences can transform your personality.  I overcame my phobia of bugs after this experience.  Now, when I am taking care of my garden, I am able to ignore any creepy crawlers and focus on my garden work!