THE SACRIFICES OF IGNORANCE
During my early life, encountering a snake was an occasion for throwing stones or fetching a shovel, and more snakes than I would like to admit were sacrificed on the altar of my ignorance. Ironically, I learned to fear snakes long before I ever encountered one in the flesh. Stories of the copperhead found under the kitchen sink of the old farm house just up the valley or the one discovered resting inside a concrete block at a nearby construction site fueled my young imagination. Unfortunately, none of those stories ever had a happy ending for the snake. I am not sure why we treated them so badly, except that, in the rural culture of my youth, dominance of the natural world usually took precedence over peaceful coexistence. Nature came right up to our doorstep, but we carefully separated ourselves from it. In our mind the natural world existed for our pleasure; we chose those elements that pleased us and tried to eliminate those that did not. Snakes were not among the chosen.
It has been more than twenty years since I last killed a snake, but I remember that moment with surprising clarity. Years of conditioning took over and my hand launched a rock before my mind even considered why I was doing it. I suspect that the memory of that moment is so lucid because something within me questioned my actions almost immediately, albeit too late for the snake.
Over the years my camera has often led me to places where snakes live, but I have never been in any danger as a result of their presence. In the process, I have developed a better understanding of these shy creatures that do their best to avoid contact with humans. I have come to appreciate these members of the natural world as much as I do the cute furry ones that first attracted my attention. I take more pleasure in nature than ever before, but I no longer wish to control it for my own end or to be separate from it. I am part of it and with membership comes responsibility. As a child I learned to share my toys; as an adult I am learning to share my world.
