When Your Day Job Messes With Your Head
Spending over fifty hours a week immersed in stories of violent crime and disappearances can certainly change your perspective on the world. For the creator of Creepalachia, this obsessive focus is a double edged sword that helps build a business but also keeps him constantly on edge. He describes himself as a naturally anxious person, and being “wired for sound” means that even a small delay in a loved one’s return can trigger a major internal alarm. It is a unique occupational hazard where the dark stories you tell every day start to feel like they could happen in your own driveway.
“When you report on that stuff it makes you wired for sound when it comes to situations.”
The Hour and a Half That Changed Everything
The panic began on a normal evening after Thanksgiving while he was working out in his basement gym. His wife sent a quick text at 5:12 p.m. saying she was heading to the mall, but by 6:33 p.m., she still had not responded to messages. When he drove to the mall and could not find her car in the dark parking lot, a pit formed in his stomach. Convinced that the early hours of a disappearance are the most critical for an investigation, he decided to call 911 to check for reported accidents in the area. He even began scouting the interstate and backroads to see if he could find any sign of a wreck.
“I had a thousand scenarios running through my head and I probably need medication to be honest. I start thinking of all the angles I possibly could as to where she could possibly be.”
Lessons Learned and a Sigh of Relief
As it turns out, the “missing” wife was simply at a friend’s house picking up some toys and had left her phone in the car. The creator admitted to feeling a bit “cringy” after realizing he forgot he could have just used the Find My iPhone app to see exactly where she was. While he knows he overreacted, he stands by the decision because he would much rather be safe than sorry when it comes to the person he calls his best friend. After calling the 911 operators back to cancel the alert, he spent the next two days just being grateful that she was home safe.
“She mentioned to me, she said, ‘Well why didn’t our daughter tell you about Find My iPhone? Just click on it and then you’ll see where I’m at.’ And I said, ‘Well I didn’t think of that. I forgot we even had that to be honest.'”
Want to hear the actual 911 call and J.D. recall the cringe-worthy moment the realization hits? You have to see the full story for yourself.
