DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
SNAKES, TAKES & TEAMS
photo source – venomous coral snakes: “Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack.”
SNAKES…
I don’t like ’em. Never have.
The slither, slide, coil:
Don’t trust them.
Yet, yesterday, I found myself with snakes at the snake zoo, or the fancy name: serpentarium. Ever heard of such a thing? Not even on my radar, Fam. Not ever in my plans.
Snakes were hanging from trees and along rocks. The venomous ones were enclosed in museum-like glass showcases.
“Don’t get close to the glass”, the announcer told us before the exhibit. “It’s for the protection of the snake.”
Protection of the snake? Are you kidding?
“If they try to come at you, I lose a snake,” she continued. “They hit their heads on the glass, and that’s it.”
“Humph,” I grunted, still pondering ‘protection of the snake’.
TAKES
The last time I was this close to snakes, on purpose, was when we filmed Wire in the Blood a few years ago. By accident, Kevin and I rolled up on Cobra Commander when shopping to buy our first home, but that’s a whole other story. Ask me sometime. Straight comedy of errors!
But back to Wire, not to spoil the episode, but there were a bunch of rattlesnakes. Thank goodness, they weren’t highlighted in my scene. But I did have to shoot one of the days we had snakes on location. The handler carefully placed one of the rattlers in the car and tried to get him to act right on camera so the director could get what he needed for the scene.
Take after take, how do you think that worked out?
“I’ll be in the trailer!”
Your girl was out. But truth is, if Sir Rattle had been in my scene, I would’ve had to face him, trust his handler, and do whatever it took to get the footage. That’s what we do as actors – whatever is best for the whole team.
THE TEAM
So, that’s how I ended up at the serpentarium.
I went for the team.
My dad doesn’t ask a whole lot. Really. He’s one of the most content people I know. When one of my brothers found the serpentarium, Dad asked all 20 of us (sons & wives, daughter & husband, and the clan of grands) to go together as a family.
I’m not the type of person that struggles with saying no to stuff outside my zone. Never really had that problem. I cheer folks on in their zones as I become an expert in mine. But when we’re on a team, it’s about what’s best for everyone, not just the individual.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul asks followers of Christ to imitate Jesus’ humility with one another. Essentially, he asks us to do what’s best for each other, not just ourselves.
PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
I could’ve chosen not to go see ,Anaconda yesterday, but that would’ve been valuing myself above others. Besides, what did it hurt?
And there was even a snake show in which the presenter tried to flex her acting skills with a North American coral snake decoy (the South American cousin is pictured above.) She wasn’t exactly Meryl Streep, but she had her moment. If you can find a way to use drama on a snake farm, kudos!
My time is most precious, and it was well spent hanging with my family.
Now, I’m not signing up to have red or yellow rat snakes curling all through the belt loops of my khakis, but yesterday, we looked out for the interest of one another.
Yesterday, Auntie Ima took one for the team.
What do you think?
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