"Why do I do this?"

Post date: Jun 5, 2016 8:52:21 AM

I seem to spend most of my weekends over the summer standing in a field somewhere with a couple of lizards (and occasionally some cornsnakes) talking to the public about them. Sometimes I get sunburnt, sometimes windblown, sometimes cold, and often muddy. Why do I do it?

Last weekend a couple in their twenties approached the stand. The man was fine with the snakes, but the woman didn't want to be anywhere near them. After some discussion, she came closer, and stretched out her arm, her hand, one finger. She was shaking violently, but turned her head away, and touched a snake for the first time. She was in floods of tears, and couldn't believe she had done it.

The couple took a few steps away, and spoke quietly between themselves.

Five minutes later they were back. "I have to SEE myself touching a snake". She was still shaking, but this time she did not turn her head away when she touched a snake again.

She conquered her fear. I don't think she'll be rushing back to hold one any time soon, but she did it, and can be proud of herself.

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Yesterday we were at the St Christopher's Summer Fair (or, to give it its correct title, the St Christopher's Food Fair and Wild West Show). The stalls were close together, and it was clear that one of the ladies on the stall to our right was a little "disconcerted" at having live snakes so close.

We set up and took the first of the snakes and lizards out of their boxes. Immediately, the lady from the next stall was over. She had decided that she couldn't spend the whole afternoon worrying about snakes so close to her .... so she needed to touch one.

She was surprised at how soft it was, not wet or slimy. And it didn't immediately try to bite her. So she stroked some more, then asked to hold it.

Some twenty minutes later, one of the other people from her stall called her back over to her own stall because she was needed.

It wasn't long before she was back - except this time, she didn't want to touch and hold little Sweeney; it was Citrine, our 12 foot albino Burmese python!

And she returned several times during the afternoon to "borrow" a snake (and, later, a skink) to show her friends on her stall, and tell them all how lovely they were. Then, as we were packing up, she said she will contact the event organiser to ask if she can be next to us again next year!

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So why do I do this? Because I give people the opportunity to do something they may never have done before. And sometimes, just sometimes, it's an awesome, terrifying, and wonderful experience.

And besides - I have a medal being being outstanding in a field with skinks!

Jane