This is Peanut Butter Brickle. You know I like to look at myself in the mirror.
That is not a secret.
But here at the barn, my mirror inside the bathroom is getting some competition. Someone else wants to look at himself. The snake. The black snake. Snakey Snake. Because this snake is more snakey than any other snake I have met.
We’ve met before. Briefly, but it was memorable. He scared Boy Person as he dropped from the wall to the floor in the barn.
We have found his shed skin. But it’s been awhile, Snakey Snake. And you made your reentrance pretty dramatic.
We thought it was just a normal day of hiking and then breakfast.
Girl Person went to wash her hands in the barn bathroom.
She was scrubbing and humming until she looked to the left of her. She felt like someone was watching her.
And there he was. As snakey as can be. Right there by her head. On the wall.
Now. You may wonder what Girl Person did. Well. She made her exit like her life depended on it. There was no time to ask questions.
There was also no faster way to run. No louder way to scream. And Digby and I ran too. We didn’t know what we were running from. But we trusted Girl Person to lead the way. Right to Boy Person.
Who had no idea what was wrong. But after hearing the problem, started laughing so hard I thought it must all be a joke. But it was no joke. None at all.
You may wonder, as I did, what Snakey Snake was doing in the barn bathroom. You may wonder why he was staring at himself in the mirror. You may wonder why a snake would care to look at himself. And. Yes. I did too.
But I soon understood.
Because as the persons were talking about him, and identifying him, they found out he was a harmless black rat snake. Well. Not harmless to rats. But definitely harmless to them. Yet, why was everyone so scared? I am sure Snakey Snake wondered the same. If he was harmless, why were people scared?
Do we treat and judge others like we do Snakey Snake? Do we judge on appearance and not facts?
Are we judging based on things we have learned growing up? Can we break that cycle? It’s up to us. It’s up to you.
The snake was looking in the mirror because he was even doubting himself. Was he truly as scary as everyone said? You see, others may doubt their own abilities and worth based on how others treat them. Time and time again, they can be discouraged. Feel less valued. We should never, ever do that to others.
The snake knows it all. If you look into his eyes, you will see his love for life. His love for living in harmony with nature. His love for his purpose. Don’t take that away from him. He knows more than we do about respect.
Fear based on looks sure is dangerous. Much more dangerous than a non venomous snake like Snakey Snake. We all have a purpose. Let others live theirs without interference from prejudice.
–Peanut Butter Brickle
