Power to Tread

It was a warm summer morning, Doug, Frank, and I were toot’n around the local nature center — headed toward the boardwalk.

Being that it was the summer before our senior year, Doug and I were lamenting this being our last real summer before facing the harsh realities of adulthood. Even so, we were determined to make the best of it.

Out of the blue, Frank yelled out, “Nature’s call’n boys.” Doug slammed on the breaks; we all squeezed out of his old Ford and spread to the four corners.

I leaped about twelve and a half feet in the air and did a front flip with a full twist. As I was rounding out my full twist, I noticed a problem with my plan; on the ground, awaiting my arrival, a snake about 40 feet long and as round as a telephone pole. I momentarily stopped time, wrote “Yipes” on a sign, and held it up.

My buddies swear that I emitted a four-letter profanity, but I’ll never admit it—besides, I’m pretty sure the snake squeaked out the same word I did. I floated down to earth like a feather, landed in a one-knee hero pose. The dry leaves rustled as the snake slithered off about ten feet, turned around, and stared at me. Rustle. Sounds like a good name for a snake.

As I answered nature, Rustle threw me a face that said, “What’s a matter with you, fool?”

I sneered back and said, “I ain’t skeerda no snake.”

As I climbed out of the pits of hell, I glanced back at my new friend and gave him a nod. Rustle nodded back.

“Next time, look where you’re jump’n, genius,” he hissed.

We all slid back into my buddy’s truck. I told the guys, “You ain’t gonna believe the Bible passage I read this morning.”

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

- Luke 10:19 (KJV)

“No freaking way!” Doug said.

“You’re full of it,” said Frank.

“I swear it’s true!” I said, and it was. "Onward–forward direction–to the boardwalk!"

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of these fellows that thinks we should play around with snakes and tempt fate. Just cause you can don’t mean you should. On this particular day, though, it worked out pretty well for me.

I learned a few lessons that day. Always look before you leap. Snakes are probably more scared of us than us of them. An active imagination can be fun, especially to embellish an otherwise dull story. Oh, and use the bathroom before you leave the house.

Author's Note

Believe it or not, there is a kernel of truth to this story. Actually, most of it is true. I don't usually give my characters fake names if I know them in real life, but I decided to this time. I have no idea where the name "Doug" came from for Rob. However me and Jay used to have a running gag where he would always say, "Hey Jesse, can I be Frank?" I would always tell him, "Ok, you be Frank, I'll be George." Silly, I know, but a fond memory of a friend gone too soon.