Confession time again…
OK, I’ll admit it…I have a fear of snakes. I don’t think it’s terribly irrational, but it’s pretty close to the border.
Currently, one of Aiden’s favorite books is Slinky Scaly Snakes. I don’t really look forward to reading books to him before bedtime because I don’t like reading the book. It has all kinds of pictures of snakes – including how snakes eat their prey. As I read the description of a snake’s dinner time, I have to fight this terrible urge to close the book and insist that we read something else. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Sometimes, my stomach gets a little queasy. It makes me realize I’m really not over that fear as much as I’d like to be.
When my suitemate, Scott, had his snake, I got to the point where I could stay in the same room with it. It was a huge accomplishment. I think I was even around it once or twice when he had it out of its cage.
I must have regressed or something, because I don’t like that book at all. Fortunately, Aiden doesn’t have that kind of fear. It’s probably a good thing.
This week on the Emmanuel maintenance crew was all about yardwork – mowing and weed-eating and then weed-eating and mowing. On Tuesday, Doug sent us over to an area of the Village to trim down a hillside that had gotten out of control. On my way there, I was asked to trim around a bird feeder.
“Yeah, birds don’t go around there much with the grass that high. Snakes like to hang out there and it scares the snakes away. Would you mind trimming it pretty short to keep the snakes away?”
Uhhhh…yeah. That’s what I like to hear. Go walk around an area where snakes like to hang out. Sounds like fun to me!
On top of that, I had just heard that a couple of guys had found a black snake late last week. It wasn’t moving, but had a big bulge in its midsection. Sounds like someone had just had dinner. Maybe it was the last guy that trimmed around the bird feeder.
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David has what he calls “old black man’s disesase”: deathly fear of snakes. He doesn’t even have to see one- if you even say “Look! A snake!” he jumps back about 3 feet. This is very funny, and some people who remain nameless have a very hard time resisting the urge to take advantage of it. Maybe he should come over and read to Aiden.