"Scared? Me? Why no, I wasn't scared!"

Aunt Ada’s quote after the incident

Inspiration

By Charles Towne

When I was a little boy child, and about knee high to a short snake, I found entertainment in the strangest and most off the wall places.

Take my aunt Ada for instance. She was always up for a good laugh.

First off, Aunt Ada was skinny as a loon’s leg, which wasn’t all that strange I guess. But on top of being skinny she also wore falsies. You know what I mean… falsies!

It was something to see Aunt Ada working in the garden hoeing weeds, sweating up a storm, with one falsie where it belonged and the other one having jiggled down to her waist band. I was young, but I knew enough about human anatomy to realize

that wasn’t natural, nohow!

On the day in question, Buster and Dootsie Bobo had paid me a nickel apiece to come watch Aunt Ada wiggle and jiggle as she hoed weeds because we knew, sooner or later, she was going to be somewhat lopsided, what with one falsie up and the other one down.

And that is when it happened.

A snake had been doing whatever it is that snakes do in gardens, when Aunt Ada’s zealous hoeing alarmed it.

Now I need to tell you that Aunt Ada was deathly afraid of snakes!

Mr. Snake fled the premises in absolute terror! The problem was, as the snake tried to vacate the vicinity, Aunt Ada’s feet were in his way. So, he obviously tried to crawl up one of her legs, which for Auntie, was not an acceptable choice of exit.

We watched as Aunt Ada began hopping up and down, an expression of horror on her face as she shouted in her squeaky, high pitched voice, “UH.. OH DEAR LORD, NO, OH NO, OH PLEASE NO. HELP! SNAKE! BITE IT! BITE ME! KILL IT!”

During all of her dancing and screaming the snake made his escape no worse for wear, except all of this excitement caused all the snake’s hair to turn gray. Poor snake. And Aunt Ada didn’t work in the garden any more that day. I think both she and the snake had enough excitement for one day.

Buster and Dootsie Bobo were happy because they had witnessed Aunt Ada’s hysterical antics, and that was worth a nickel any day.

Now, I told you all that so I could assure you that we are going to beat this dragon of a pandemic. Though some things are going to be different for a time, we, being the resilient people we are here in this great country of ours, will prosper in ways we never imagined. God bless us, one and all!

Dear Papa God, this thing has our attention like that little snake had Aunt Ada’s attention! So now, turn our hearts back to you; not in terror, but in a deep and abiding love. We praise you Father. We praise you and we love you. In Jesus’ wonderful name we

declare it, Amen

Charles Towne is first and foremost a Christian. An octogenarian, author, journalist, wildlife photographer, naturalist, caregiver, and survivor, his life has been and continues to be, a never-ending adventure filled with possibilities never imagined. He has adopted the philosophy that to Live fully, laugh uproariously, love passionately, and learn like there is no tomorrow, is a formula for a long and joy-filled life.