By Neal Wooten
There are so many great expressions in this area. I love the one people use when you can’t find something, like your car keys, for example, and they were right in front of you the whole time. I’m bad about that. The more in plain sight an object is, the less likely I am to see it. Hence, people say, “If it had been a snake, it would have bitten you.”
I’m pretty sure if it had been a snake, most people wouldn’t have been looking for it. When God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and be feared by all mankind, he wasn’t messing around. But I actually would look for them. When I was a kid, I’d spend all day seeking them out. I thought, and still think, they’re the coolest critters in the animal kingdom. That’s still my favorite thing about summer in the South.
It makes you wonder though, doesn’t it? How did snakes get around before the forbidden fruit incident? They must have had legs, and what is a snake with legs? That’s right – a dinosaur. My theory is it was one of those crafty velociraptors that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. So, it wasn’t an asteroid that killed the dinosaurs; they’re still slithering around today.
My favorite thing about going to school at Sylvania was the snake shows. That guy came every year, and I loved it. The shows must have been free to attend because I never had money as a kid. (Something I continue to practice as an adult.) I assume the school paid him to come, but not sure how it worked. While most of my classmates aspired to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc., I was wondering how to get that job.
I can still remember the first snake show I went to. I was in the first grade, and when he called for volunteers to help hold the giant python, I bolted from my seat. I didn’t give it any thought at all. Not too smart since I was a tiny, scrawny little thing. (Something I stopped practicing as an adult.) For all I knew, he might have just wanted me as a snack for his pet.
I think the guy’s daughter still puts on the shows, but I don’t know if they still come to Sylvania or all the small schools on the mountain. Let me know if they do, and I’ll sneak in if I have to.
Remember, snakes are your friends and do a lot of good for the ecosystem. If you find one in your yard or garden, please let them be on their way. They’re just passing through.
