Cross That Off The List

When we came to Australia I had a few goals and I was, finally, able to tick one of them off my list this week (just in the nick of time!).

As many of you know, I have a strong aversion to snakes. Actually, more like a phobia. Moving to a country with some of the deadliest snakes in the world didn't help. On top of that, the Risby-Jones family (I am co-authoring a book with the father, Ben) likes snakes. They own two pythons (not the gigantic ones, smaller ones) and have often been visited by the big mamma-jamma pythons when they had chickens (apparently a chicken coop looks just like a McDonald's drive-thru to a big python).

My goal before I left Australia was to actually hold one of their smaller pythons (known affectionately as Billy Slater, after a Brisbane rugby player). I did it on Sunday (I also got to witness the other one pooping but that's a story for another time).



I think I had hoped that actually holding a snake (for, like, 5 minutes!) would somehow cure me of my phobia. I'm not as phobic as I once was but snakes still make me incredibly nervous.

I think I hoped I would find them oddly beautiful and fascinating. Eh.....they're not butt-ugly but they still don't awe or inspire me.

The chief problem is that I am hopelessly mammalian and they are hopelessly reptilian. We don't think alike, we don't communicate alike, we don't react to the world in a similar fashion, and their teeth are way the hell sharper than mine (and their reflexes off the charts as far as I'm concerned).

I find them inscrutable and vaguely untrustworthy. I can not imagine establishing or experiencing a "link" with them. Plus, their eyes still freak me out. I mean, really freak me out. I cannot look them in the eye. Sorta like vampires.

But It Has Been Done! I have held a snake (sorry, Charlie, but I had to). I don't know if I'll do it again but now I know I won't die from a heart attack if I have to. That's helpful. :)