My son has always been timid since he was young. He never dares to go downstairs alone, even though he can go down by himself now. He always stands at the top of the stairs, pitifully looking at us, saying, "Baby will roll down, baby is still a little baby." While saying this, he also has an expression that looks like he's about to cry. Whenever we hear his tender plea, his mom and I always let him manipulate us, obediently carrying him down.
His timidity also shows in his cautious eating habits. For things he is unfamiliar with or hasn't eaten before, no matter how hard you try to persuade him that it's delicious and similar to something he likes, he remains indifferent. He will spit it out without hesitation even if you force it into his mouth. Moreover, if he senses your intention to force-feed him, he will preemptively grab the food from your hand and throw it on the ground, then confidently say, "Can't throw it on the ground." He says this because his mom often teaches him not to throw food on the ground, hoping to gain sympathy. Nowadays, foods like cauliflower, tofu, some meats, shrimp, peaches, cherries, oranges, etc., have no chance of entering his mouth.
He is also afraid of mechanical sounds like engines. We once bought a quadcopter that could fly indoors with a protective cover outside, which was quite safe. Every time we turned it on, the buzzing sound of the motor would immediately scare him to tears. Whenever I wanted to play with a remote-controlled car, he would run far away, protesting, "Dad, no!" We have a treadmill in the basement, and one time I took him to play there, thinking he had a great time playing on a treadmill at a friend's house before. How about we open it at the slowest speed? But as soon as I went to plug it in, he ran towards the stairs with a fearful look, crying out, "Dad, no!"
His various timid behaviors naturally make me wonder if it's genetic. Since I can remember, I have been a very timid person. I was especially afraid of the dark when I was young, just like my son, I didn't want to turn off the lights when going to bed at night. I used to like sleeping with a blanket covering me, as if the blanket was a protective barrier. It wasn't until I grew up gradually and found the air inside the blanket was thin, making it hard to breathe, that I changed this habit.
I remember one time going to watch a movie at our elementary school, and there were some scary scenes in the movie that frightened me. I can't recall what type of scenes they were, but I always covered my eyes with my hands and refused to look until my mother told me that the scary scene had passed, then I dared to put my hands down and continue watching.
When I was older, zombie movies were popular, and I would often come across them in various circumstances. The image of those ugly zombies with outstretched hands, walking in a jerky manner, left an unforgettable impression on me. So much so that every time I walked into a dark place, I would always imagine a zombie hiding in a dark corner or behind a door, ready to suddenly appear and lunge at me. During that time, I never dared to go into a room without lights, and even going to the bathroom before bed required a lot of courage. I had to mentally prepare myself each time.
Later, my uncle made a talisman for me. It was made of yellow paper with red characters that I couldn't understand. My uncle was a half Taoist who could perform rituals, so he also made talismans. He took an empty bowl, burned the talisman in it, and poured water into the bowl after it burned out, making me drink the water. Watching the black ashes of the burned talisman floating in the water, I hesitated to drink it. But seeing my uncle's solemn expression, I felt that the talisman was profound and mysterious, so I finally drank it all in one gulp.