The Bumblebee and the Snake

When I was about 3 or maybe 4 years old I was going out of the house and there was a big bumblebee sitting on the floor right between me and the door. I remember being terrified and paralyzed with fear. I just stood there staring at the bee, hoping it would move – and that when it moved it wouldn’t fly toward me. I honestly don’t remember what happened, whether the bee flew away, or maybe one of my parents came through the door, or whatever. I just remember the moments of standing there terrified of that bumblebee.

Another time, when I was 8 ears old, I was walking from our house to the country store, about a half-mile or so away. We lived on a country road, not far from a lake. When I got about halfway to the store I saw a ‘blue racer’ snake coiled up on the side of the road. Again, just like with the bumblebee, I stood stock still for what seemed like forever, waiting for the snake to move, and hoping it moved away from me and not toward me. The snake eventually slithered across the road in front of me, and I went on to the store. I was afraid my mother would ask me what took me so long, but she didn't. So I'm sure my confrontation with the snake only lasted a minute or so -- but it sure felt a lot longer than that.

PHOTO: This is the house we lived in when I crossed paths with the snake. This picture was taken in 1992. When we lived here in 1962-63 the house consisted of only the middle part. Since then it has had the porch added on the left and another room or two on the right side of the house.