Strangely Enough I Have a Phobia with Balloons

I do not care what people think but I do have to admit that I have a phobia with balloons and my phobia is a little strange to a point but definitely something I am afraid of. Yes, I am afraid of balloons!!! I do not like the feel of balloons when they do not have air in them or when they have air in them. I do like the feel of balloons or the squeaky sound of a balloon when someone is making it squeak. To me a squeak of a balloon is like fingernails on a chalkboard. When a balloon has air in it that fear of a balloon breaking and popping just hurts these adult ears of mine because I have had my ear drums broken due to severe ear infections as a child. I have also have been teased with balloons growing up in school by bullies and kids teasing me. When I was in high school our hallways, all three halls were covered with blue and white balloons during football season to encourage the football team to do well and it practically drove me up a wall when a pop happened here and a pop happened there and because I do not like touching ballooons, I would walk down the exact middle of the hallway away from those balloons that drove me crazy. I have had balloons popped in my face.

What brought my strange phobia with balloons is the fact that a dear and close friend of mine had a bunch of balloons at her party and they were popping left and right due to the heat of the room and little kids having fun with them. I practically ran, ok did run, into the bathroom and out of the community room to avoid those balloons.