Transparancy

Today.  I touched a snake.  I was at the nature center close to my home, picking one of my nephews up from camp.  He loves to go into the area where the wild things are after class.  The volunteers there take out just about any creature and let you touch them.  I had faint visions of myself being enclosed in a make-shift home and then some creature picking me up to stroke my backside, so when he offered to let me touch the snake, I was kind and gentle, hoping some unfamiliar creature might be the same towards me.

There was a couple there who were struggling with their English but doing quite well.  They were very interested in the little creatures that had been offered for a personal visit.  The lady wanted to touch the snake but kind of stood back, she looked at me kind of quickly, and honestly, I am not one much for making rules and leading the way, but I felt in that split second, just the insta sec, that if I touched the snake, she would allow herself to do something she really wanted to do.  So, I touched the snake.

I turned and smiled at her.  She said to her husband, "I'm going to touch the snake."

End of story was good.  Smiles. Smiles transcend all languages. And I'm sure the snake was happy, too.