My granddad used to tell a story about an “Indian boy” who was descending from the mountain top when he passed a snake who spoke to him, saying: “I’m dying here in the cold. Please tuck me into your warm vest and carry me down to the valley where I can be warm and live.” The boy said he wouldn’t for fear of the snake biting him. Of course, the snake promised he wouldn’t. After some convincing that, out of grateful appreciation for saving his life, the snake wouldn’t strike; the boy tucked the snake into his vest and carried him down to the warm valley. Upon reaching into his vest that he might lay the snake in the grass, the boy felt the snake strike his hand. The boy cried out in pain: “I don’t understand! I saved you from the cold! You promised you wouldn’t bite me!” The snake replied, “Yes I did promise…but you knew I was a snake when you picked me up.”
How many times do we pick up a snake, knowing it’s a snake when we pick it up? Often we don’t feel the strike immediately. Often, it takes years to realize we’ve hurt ourselves. Some diagnoses of our self inflicted snake bites are things like obesity, type II diabetes, drug/alcohol addiction and certain types of cancers. Often we indulge in harmful behavior over decades, thinking it won’t happen to me. We abuse our bodies and either don’t care (enough to change), or we are in denial regarding the possible, even probable effects of that abuse. Make no mistake; there are consequences of lifestyle choices. “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). It may take ‘many days,’ but you will find it; meaning it will come around to bite you…
Make good choices. Don’t pick up that snake! You know what I’m talking about. If you’re bound and determined to pick up the snake, at least do the work you need to do to counteract the venom, if you can. (There’s nothing you can do to counter the effects of smoke or drug use. Just don’t do that.) The Blue Bell and the pecan pie and the DQ chocolate malt; if you must indulge, DO LESS of the indulging and work more to expend those calories.
You know a snake when you see one. Whether he’s on the mountain top or laying in the grass…no matter how much you want to believe he won’t bite you; he will. He’s a snake. Don’t be fooled.
Sally Windham-Blackburn is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor in Blanco, TX. Please send questions and comments to sally_blackburn@yahoo.com
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