I heard a story a long time ago and to the best of my memory it went something like this:
Once upon a time there was a young girl strolling along a mountain path when the weather suddenly changed and the snow and chilling winter winds blew forcing her to pull her jacket around her. Walking through the storm forced her to put her head down as she struggled with each step. Seeing a snake across the path she stopped. The snake asked her to pick him up and give him safe harbor from the storm. ‘ I cannot do that,’ she said, ‘you will bite me and I will die.’
‘I won’t bite you,’ the snake replied, ‘ I just don’t want to die in the cold.’ After much persuading the girl picked up the poor snake and tucked him inside her coat. Almost at once the snake bit the girl and as she lay dying she said, ‘You promised me you would not bite me. You promised me I would be safe.’ The snake looked at her and said, ‘You knew what I was when you picked me up.’
Sometimes we know the truth but for whatever reason choose not to see it, or believe it, because we want it to be something else. The he and she of it can change.
If there is a snake in your life are you willing to look at the truth, as painful as it can be? We glorify truth, but the reality is that truth can be painful. It can hurt to the core. There is nothing easy about truth. Sometimes we can live with what we want to believe but sometimes choosing to not see the truth can be dangerous. Be safe my friends. Be safe.
Run don’t walk. It is better to face the truth and be safe. Some of life’s snakes do not bite fatally at first. Just nips of discomfort unsettling your mind and soul, confusing you and putting you in constant angst.
The moral of the story is clear but as one who has built in rose colored glasses it took a long time and a few snakes whose bites I survived before I was ready to deal with reality. I rather suspect that a few unfortunate situations we get ourselves into, we in fact had a pretty good inkling would turn into the snake.
Do we hate the snake? No, we just accept its character and nature. You cannot hate it for its nature, we just have to be smart enough to part company ASAP and say NO. Enough is enough is enough.
bridgesburning 
Gosh isn`t this so true. And how many years does it take for all of us to learn this hard lesson? A chair will always be a chair no matter how much we would like it to be a couch.
I love the chair/couch idea!
Great post Chris!!!
TY my friend. You may want to read tomorrow. My spidey sense tells me someone will be dogging your footsteps!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh …. I am anticipating now! 🙂 I really like what you’re doing with your blog. 🙂
The snake is right as are you – too often we ignore our instincts, that little voice inside, pick the damn snake up and the, surprise, we get bitten. We’ve all done it, haven’t we?
It is and you are right. Some of us..me..keep repeating the same mistakes picking up that damn snake but I think I might have broken that cycle!
So true…so true. Thanks.
Alas we seem destined as the old German saying goes, Too Soon Old, Too Late Scmart!
Sadly, this is life, snakes an’ all; we just have to become more aware of what’s going on, and avoid the “snakes” in our life. They will always be there, we just have to recognize them.
Hang in there Chris.
Thanks Barb I was trying to send a subtle message to someone dealing with those snakes. I think wisdom should manditorily be genetic!
I thought that was the case. Stay strong Chris.
So sad and so true. As I often rant the bullies of the world do what we would not dream of doing and we are all to often the ones hurt. Stay strong.
You are right Kat and I was trying to send subtle wisdom to someone without being interfering! Not sure it worked but hopefully!