Tale of a 12-inch garden snake that ruled its surroundings

 Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com


Once upon a time there was a 12-inch garden snake that ruled its surroundings.

Never a hiss nor a single sound from the snake was ever heard by any nearby humans.

But each time the humans saw the garden snake, also fearfully known as a garter snake; the humans would shiver, and shudder, and run in the opposite direction of the snake.

Whenever the small snake sensed the nearness of any of the humans or of any large machines such as cars or lawnmowers, out of fear the snake would slither into the closest hiding place to cower its head and move its slinky tail to and fro.

These quick and slick reptile movements made the humans even more afraid of the tiny little 12-inch snake-ruler as they imagined the snake instantly growing in mammoth size to capture and devour every human within reach!

Rather comical, don’t you agree?

Especially when we are reminded by trusted sources that garden snakes like to feast on healthy diets of slugs, earthworms, insects, leeches, lizards, spiders, amphibians, birds, fish, toads and rodents; and that they tend to be afraid of moving objects that are larger than itself!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

When we take a moment to reflect about the things that are sometimes able to ignite the most fear in us, there are times when we have to finally come to the conclusion that we just may have made a challenge or issue bigger than it really is.

Unfortunately, we can sometimes picture a 12-inch garden snake rapidly transforming itself into a 12-foot reptile monster right before our very eyes.

At times we even allow our fear-filled thoughts to outweigh the realities of small encounters and/or potential challenges, imagining these things as big monster-like problems that we are too weak and powerless to outright avoid, overcome, or simply view as the small harmless things they really are.

When we are taken out of our comfort zones we sometimes become afraid.

When we have to tackle something new and there is a sharp learning curve before reaching a comfortable level of understanding and avoiding costly or embarrassing mistakes, we sometimes become afraid.

When we believe we may lose face or make a bad impression we sometimes become afraid.
 

When we encounter people or situations very different from our own experiences and backgrounds we sometimes become afraid.

It is at those times we can recall the small and harmless 12-inch garden snake that can instill in us only as much fear as we allow it to. 

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

The garter snake looks, moves and eats differently than humans do.  The quick and slick slithering movements of the snake sometimes cause a creepy and stressful sensation to be experienced by human observers. 

Repeated sightings of the little garden snake confirm that it is not the least bit interested in or brave enough to pursue moving objects that are bigger in size and stature than it is. 

These factors alone can provide us with the courage and strength to either avoid, overcome, or simply view this small thing for what it truly is.

The same approach might be used with those small situations and experiences we inevitably encounter from day to day.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.

Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)