Had a good laugh over this

So yeah, I've been looking into getting a snake since June of last year. Everybody knew it except for my parents (they aren't big fans of snakes) and any other member of my family that might tell them... since I would only be living at home for one more summer, I figured I'd wait til they found the mice in the freezer or something and use the excuse of "well you didn't care about it for the past month when it was living here and you didn't know it." Well, as it turns out, I got a job in a different city for this summer (I'm getting my teaching certification next year, so even though I'm graduating in May, I'm still not looking for a long-term job yet). This changed things, as I wouldn't be living at home, and the most I'd have the snake in the house was over spring break. So about 3 weeks ago when I was home last, I decided it was ok to let my parents in on my little secret (actually it came about more because I was building the lid for my viv in the garage when they came home one evening and that left me with no other option :laugh: )

So anyway, they didn't really care, and I took the time to answer any questions they had about it. I kinda got the impression that my dad was actually sorta interested in the idea. Well tonight, I was talking to my mom for a few minutes and she said "Your dad wants to know if you'd care if he went to the reptile show with you and [your friends] this weekend. He said he's really curious about why this is so interesting to people, and he's actually kinda excited about your snake now"

I really had to try hard not to laugh, because this is the same guy that freaked out when I hid a rubber snake under the edge of the porch when I was 10 or so...he tried to kill it with a shovel (that I got out for this specific reason) and when it bounced up in the air (it was rubber, after all) he REALLY went to town on it...lol. When he actually goes and enjoys himself, I'm going to hold back on the much-deserved "I told you so :nyah: " and let it go at that. I'm just glad to see someone coming around finally...

LOL. A lot of people do seem to come around when they get over their initial fear that all snakes are evil.

Joejr14 said:

LOL. A lot of people do seem to come around when they get over their initial fear that all snakes are evil.

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Yeah, actually my one friend that's coming down with me is afraid of them too. She told me that, and I asked her why....and she couldn't tell me...lol. So she decided she'd check out the show too to see if that would get her used to snakes... It's progress anyway, so I'll take it!

I see people that are scared just about every show I attend. Just last Sunday I talked this woman into holding a snake. As time passed and her shaking stopped she eventually worked her way up to a yearling.

Hehe, my whole family was petrified of snakes. Then I would periodically drag them to work with me this past summer, and drag them around through the swamps and whatnot to see all my "babies" (the massasuagas) and sure enough once they realized how docile the snakes really were and that they weren't going to spontaneously spring at their throats, they kinda got interested in them. They didn't even freak when I had to keep one of the snakes in my kitchen for 3 days after its surgery (no worries, I had permits). So I had my family totally acclimated to rattlesnakes, so when I got Sienna they thought she was just the cutest thing. My one sister who was physically shaking the first time she just *saw* a rattlesnake (from 5 meters away I might add) actually asks to hold Sienna everytime she comes over. Once people realize snakes are not "the devil" they seem to adjust pertty well.

My mom was like that when I got my first tarantula. She thought they were gross and scary, but when I got one she said "ooohhhhh it's sooooo cute! May I hold it?" and just stuck her hand in there thinking she could just grab it.

Now of course that I had to give it up (and got my snakes) she couldn't understand what it was about snakes that I like... until she saw mine. She still mentions the spider from time to time. Parents are a strange bunch. lol

Actually, when I told my mom I was getting a snake she said "well at least it's not a spider"...lol.

My parents live in Australia and came to visit last october...I was wondering how they would feel about sleeping in the same room as the snakes and dad was OK even though he had no interest in them but my was so enthusiastic about them I had to wonder if she was being fake-supportive. So I had to ask her why she so bluntly refused to let me have a snake when I was living at home and she replied that if I had a snake there would be no way my grandmother would set foot inside the house ever again -to which my dad replied 'So WHY THE HELL didn't we get snakes 30 years ago?'