Fear is a tricky thing. It creeps into our minds, often irrational and exaggerated, making even the most harmless things seem terrifying. As children, our imaginations are boundless, and with that comes the ability to create monsters out of shadows and threats out of harmless spaces—like the dreaded area under the bed.
For as long as I can remember, I had an irrational fear of something lurking beneath my bed at night. No matter how many times I reassured myself that it was empty, how many times I peeked under it with a flashlight, or how often my parents told me there was nothing there, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching me from the darkness.
This fear wasn’t just a passing childhood phase. It followed me into adulthood, leaving me lying awake at night, too scared to dangle my feet over the edge of my bed. Eventually, I realized that I couldn’t live like this forever. I needed a solution.
Seeking Professional Help: A Logical First Step
Determined to conquer my fear once and for all, I did what most people would consider the rational thing—I booked an appointment with a psychiatrist. Surely, with their expertise, I could work through my irrational anxieties and finally sleep in peace.
As I sat in the psychiatrist’s office, I poured out my story—how my fear had affected my sleep for years, how I knew it was ridiculous but couldn’t make it go away, and how I desperately wanted to overcome it.
The psychiatrist listened attentively, nodding at all the right moments. When I finally finished, he leaned back in his chair, folded his hands, and smiled reassuringly.
“You’ve come to the right place,” he said. “With therapy, we can address the root of your fear. If you see me three times a week for a year, we’ll work through this together. By the end of it, you’ll be sleeping soundly.”
That sounded promising. I felt a wave of relief wash over me—until I asked the golden question:
“How much do you charge per session?”
“Eighty dollars per visit,” he replied.
I quickly did the math in my head. Three times a week, $80 per session—that was a lot of money. Over a year, I’d be spending thousands just to stop being afraid of my own bed. Was my fear really worth that much?
I hesitated, then finally said, “I’ll have to think about it. I’ll sleep on it—well, try to sleep on it—and if I decide to move forward, I’ll be back.”
The psychiatrist nodded, as if he had heard that before, and we parted ways.
An Unexpected Answer in an Unlikely Place
Life went on, and I didn’t return to the psychiatrist. The idea of spending that much money on therapy felt overwhelming. But my fear still persisted, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it forever.
Then, one evening, as I sat at a bar nursing a drink, I struck up a conversation with the bartender. Somehow, the topic of childhood fears came up, and I mentioned my long-standing terror of the thing under my bed.
The bartender laughed. “You’re still scared of that? Man, that’s easy to fix.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, half-skeptical, half-curious. “How would you fix it?”
He smirked and said, “Cut the legs off your bed. No space under there, no monster. Problem solved.”
I stared at him, momentarily speechless. Then, I burst out laughing.
Could it really be that simple?
The $10 Solution That Saved Me Thousands
The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Why was I tormenting myself with fear when I could eliminate the very thing causing it? Instead of spending thousands of dollars in therapy, I spent ten bucks on a saw and got to work.
Within an hour, my bed was flat on the floor. No legs, no gap, no space for anything to hide.
That night, for the first time in years, I slept peacefully.
No longer did I lie awake, heart pounding, imagining shadowy figures reaching for my ankles. No longer did I hesitate before getting into bed, afraid of what might be lurking beneath me. The problem was gone—completely, utterly gone.
And the best part? I had saved a fortune. In fact, I saved so much money that I went out and bought myself a brand-new SUV. Talk about a win-win!
Lessons Learned: The Power of Simple Solutions
This experience taught me an important lesson—sometimes, the best solutions aren’t the most expensive or complicated ones.
We tend to overanalyze our problems, searching for deep-rooted psychological explanations, when in reality, the fix can be as simple as eliminating the source of anxiety altogether. In my case, I didn’t need a year of therapy to overcome my fear—I just needed to remove the empty space under my bed.
It also highlighted the power of humor in facing life’s challenges. Fear often stems from our imagination running wild, making things seem far scarier than they actually are. But sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective—perhaps even a humorous one—to put things into perspective.
A Funny Reminder to Keep Things Simple
Looking back, I still laugh about how simple the solution was. I could have spent thousands analyzing my fear, trying to convince myself that there was nothing under my bed. Instead, I just removed the possibility entirely. No space under the bed, no monster—end of story.
So, the next time you find yourself haunted by a fear that might not even be real, take a moment to consider a different approach. Maybe, just maybe, the answer isn’t as complicated as you think.
And if you’re really stuck, just ask yourself—what would the bartender do?
Because sometimes, all it takes to face your fears is a little creativity, a fresh perspective, and a ten-dollar saw.
