Catching Snakes (July 26)

“My grandmother assigned herself the task of setting me on the path towards accomplishments she felt were indispensable for any full-grown man… A case in point was handling snakes deftly and with confidence.” For example, after a little encouragement, “I edged forward and swept my legs through the grass. A telltale ripple slid away, then stopped. My pulse quickened… Somehow my fingers made contact in the right place. When I stood back up, the quarry was my own.”

Providence Point, pp. 53-4

It little mattered that grass snakes posed no real danger, or that Granny gave signs of being as nervous about catching them as her grandson was. Nor that Robbie’s mother quickly intervened to disapprove heartily of both their efforts. When she insisted that her son promise that he’d “never do that again,” his consent was tempered by the rider that “Surely, her ‘never’ must have been intended to include ‘when I’m there to see you.’”

(p. 55)

As is often attributed to Mark Twain, “Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.” And so Robbie learned to chart a course between the plentiful shoals that threatened him on every side. Understanding the limits to the wisdom of one’s elders – and determining which would-be mentors most deserve respect – is a difficult lesson every child must eventually master.

Does such an epiphany from your own childhood come to mind? If so, feel free to leave a comment. And if you’d like a chance to follow Robbie’s maturation more closely, you’ll find links to online booksellers of Providence Point below.

(Illustration generated by AI)