“Snake Guys”

When I was a kid, my grandfather would take me down to The River. We would be there for hours walking around finding new people to talk to. He especially connected with military veterans. I was too young to appreciate what he was doing and what he was learning. He would ask them where they were stationed and about their experiences. I believe now, that it was a way for him to connect with his brother who passed on during the war. Pop never failed to say hello to someone, ask them how they were doing and really just TALK with them. Being that he was The Wisest Man I Ever Knew, I believe he was on to something and was teaching me to always be curious.  
 
Through this journey we call life, we will meet a lot of different people along the way. People from different backgrounds, different walks of life, different upbringings. Especially here in the U. S., we will meet people from other countries. Sometimes we take for granted the things we can learn from one another. Whenever I meet someone from another country, I always ask them about their country and their wildlife. I find that fascinating. We tend to shy away from people who look different. Fear of the unknown is in our human nature. If we learn about it, then it’s not unknown. We may actually LEARN something. We may learn a new approach to the same problem, a different way of doing things.  
 
If a man is standing on the Boardwalk with a snake around his neck, most would not go anywhere near him for fear of the snake. Why is HE so comfortable with a snake around his neck? He knows this snake. He knows what it is capable of doing and what it’s not capable of doing.  
 
The next time we see someone that we would normally fear, we should talk with them. If we would all just talk to one another and learn from one another, we would not be so quick to judge and fear them. This world would be a much better place.  
 
“You know some people are different 
Now ain't that a crying shame 
Now wouldn't it be a real drag  
If we were all the same” 
 
~ Savoy Brown