Monsters in the dark

As a young Boy Scout I loved to camp and go on the adventures but when night fell no matter where I looked the bushes, trees, and rocks just look like animals and other creatures waiting to jump out at me. Don't get me wrong I was not scared of the dark. But the tricks the eye plays in low light, making normal objects look like monsters did frighten me. As a result I used a flashlight way more then I needed to. Guess you could say that flashlight was kind of like a security blanket for me. Keep this in mind next time new Scouts go on a campout and are acting, a bit strange at night. They will never admit to seeing monsters in the dark, but could that be there problem?

I really don't have any suggestions on how to deal with this issue. If an adult or even youth leader tried to help me, I think I would have turned a death ear to it. Nothing would get me to admit that I was seeing monsters where there were none. I wanted to appear as strong and brave as possible. With each outing I saw less and less monsters. As as time past I got more comfortable with the other Scouts around me and the adult leaders. Its like anything the fear of the unknown, which is no longer feared as it becomes known.

Not sure I should admit this but even now as an adult, at times I can be walking around at night and see weird shapes and things... and think oh no is that a Coyote or a MT. Lion? Of course it is just a bush or a rock.

Ok Please stop laughing at me now …