| Here's a true story for y'all to think about... | | | | moved on up into it, wrapped two coils around the |
| Several years ago, down in South America, two | | | | woman who remained, and then pulled her back into |
| women went out late one night to do a little fishing. | | | | the river. Her friend on the bank turned around just in |
| They put their small canoe into a tiny tributary of the | | | | time to see her vanish underneath the surface. |
| mighty Amazon River and began slowly floating along. | | | | Needless to say, after she comprehended what had |
| The roles the two women were to play in their | | | | just occurred she ran back to her village and told |
| quest for fish were simple - one held a flashlight, and | | | | everyone about what had just happened. |
| the other held a stick with a spike on the end of it | | | | Search parties were formed to search for the large |
| that would be used to gig the fish. They floated out | | | | snake, and after about three weeks of looking they |
| into the water, the light from their flashlight scanning | | | | were finally successful. The huge anaconda was |
| the murky liquid in a search for some much needed | | | | found underneath a large tree, and there was no |
| food. | | | | doubt that this was the right one due to the fact |
| The women slowly made their way along and | | | | that it had an extremely large lump showing in its |
| managed to gig several fish, a couple of them really | | | | middle, a human being sized lump. The snake was |
| nice ones. They had just finished gigging another, | | | | quickly killed, cut open, and the woman's body was |
| when the lady handling the flashlight shone it out | | | | recovered. The tribal elders of the village buried her |
| over the water ahead of them and saw what | | | | the next day, and the skin of the snake ended up in |
| appeared to be a large tree stump. When the stump | | | | the Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, which is |
| suddenly moved, both women were startled and | | | | where Will and I saw it a few years ago - the |
| quickly realized that what they had observed was | | | | museum's curator told us the story behind it after he |
| not a tree stump but an anaconda, one of the | | | | saw us both staring at it. |
| largest snakes in the world. | | | | The morals of this story are: |
| The lady holding the flashlight figured the snake was | | | | 1. Fishing for food in a body of water inhabited by |
| an omen and mentioned to her friend that they | | | | super large snakes who are also quite hungry is |
| should call it an evening. Her friend, to her surprise, | | | | probably not the smartest thing in the world to do. |
| scoffed at her request and said that if the big snake | | | | 2. If you find you are compelled to do this anyway, |
| approached their boat that she intended to drive the | | | | take one of the following people along with you to |
| stick she was holding right down its throat. Upon | | | | help you: a New Jersey tax collector, Matthew |
| hearing that, the lady holding the light became | | | | Lesko, or Carrot Top. |
| convinced that it was time to call it an evening. She | | | | 3. At least a real snake doesn't hide what it wants, |
| informed her friend that she was leaving, handed her | | | | and proceeds to ruthlessly go after it. "Human |
| the flashlight, and then stepped over the side of the | | | | snakes" almost always hide what they want, but |
| boat and out into the water. The water was very | | | | they are just as ruthless as their reptilian |
| shallow, only about two-and-one-half to three feet | | | | counterparts, if not more so. Their "bite" can hurt a |
| deep, and the woman quickly walked out and made | | | | lot more, if you think about it. |
| her way on up onto the riverbank. During the few | | | | 4. Remember to live each day to its fullest, because |
| moments that it took her to do that, the large | | | | truly anything can happen. Truly anything....... |
| anaconda swam up underneath the small canoe, | | | | |