Phobias

There seems to be a difference between a phobia and a healthy respect.
I know I have a phobia of heights.  I also know I have a healthy respect for spiders.
We have a rule at our place.  If something is inside it is fair game.  Outside is their territory and with exceptions we leave them alone.  This year has been spider free so far.  Last year they all emerged on one night.
I used to live in a place near bushland.  I had my fair share of spider experiences there.  I came home to that place one time (it was two story) and there was a broom askew on the stairs and stuff around generally that made it look like a war zone.  I think who was there had a sider phobia as I was met by someone with the words “there’s a spider.”  I went and dealt with it.  It was actually not very happy based on the way it danced towards me in an upright position.  It was obviously a fight to the death which I had no intentions of losing.
Our next door neighbour gave us a shed they no longer wanted.  With one person on each corner we brought it to our place.  From then on we had red backs.  Maybe I just did not know we had them but from then I saw them regularly.  All I can say is I am glad they are slow.
One time I really felt like I had a warning.  I was about to put on sandshoes but something made me look closely.  It was then I saw this weird web, and upon digging around I unearthed a red back.  I had a friend in Braken Ridge who had the sort of place where you always took off your shoes.  However no one was allowed to leave their shoes outside because of the number of red backs that were visible.  An army mate in Townsville showed me their barracks and made a point of taking me to a place where the red backs to be seen were numerous.
Another time, I put on socks and then sandshoes and was bitten.  I thought “I’ve been bitten.”  I went to our balcony and took off the sandshoe and unearthered a trianchula.   I so could not blame him for biting me.  After all we were trying to occupy the same space at the same time.  That made it uncomfortable for us both.
I saw the biggest spider of my life there.  It was the size of a house (though that could be just my memory if it.)  It was actually about dinner plate size which comprised mostly of legs.  Anyway next day it was gone and I know not where.
I was living by myself there and saw this spider I did not like the look of downstairs.  It was large.  I dragged a chair to the top of the stairs and ate my dinner and watched.  It never came up.  However that night I sealed my bedroom and woke up with him on the wall opposite.  In trying to deal with him he made his way to the next room.  I did something I hate doing but I gave him a good spray.  He did not look well.  However after a couple of days he looked better than ever.  That was another fight I was fortunate enough to win.
So I do have a healthy respect for spiders.  Most are ok, some are deadly if not treated. As one pest control person said if you see anything in your house it is mostly heading for water.  That is why so many are discovered in bathrooms.