A quick look at any medical journal reveals thousands of phobias that afflict people ... not discomforts or unpleasantries, but full-blown, pulse-raising, sweat-inducing, emotionally debilitating phobias. They come in all shapes and sizes.

We find arachnaphobia (the fear of spiders) and musophobia (the fear of mice). There are claustrophobia (the fear of confined spaces with no visible exit) and hydrophobia (the fear of water which prevents anyone from knowing the joys of swimming in summer or deep sea fishing). My personal Achilles heel is acrophobia (the fear of heights). I don't do ferris wheels or roller coasters. When my children say, "Dad, we want to ride the chair lift," in this or that amusement park, I always answer, "Great! I'll buy you the tickets and wait right here until you …