I understand. I was lucky as a kid.

[MineralMan]

My mother was completely unflappable I carried an array of snakes and lizards into the house as a boy to show her. She'd always say something like, "That's nice, Dick. When you've finished looking at it, be sure to turn it loose in a safe place." That was the extent of her alarm.

I've always liked snakes, and I can't count the number of times I've picked one up and had the chance to give an impromptu science lesson on snakes to a bunch of kids in the neighborhood. It's one of my minor missions in life, I guess. Kids are apprehensive about snakes, but once you tell them something about them and let them have a close look and actually touch or handle the animal, that goes away very quickly.