I came out of the snake closet at work.

My place of employment is huge, but I work with a small team of 8 (all women.) We are pretty close, but I had only told 2 people (that I was closer to friend-wise) about the snakes. Well, last week I let it all out of the bag about owning them. Here's how it happened.
Two of the girls were talking about "good vs. evil" type stuff. They were mentioning about "do animals go to heaven when they die?" One of them said "oh yes, our dogs will go there, I know it, but what about nasty animals like snakes?" It riled me up a bit, but instead of getting mad (like I wanted to, lol) I went over and explained that I keep snakes as pets. After some weird expressions like I would make if I saw someone decapitated, they actually apologised about talking so badly about snakes; their fears and such are completely religious, and fear, influenced. My one coworker said that her older brothers would torment her by putting little garter snakes in her bed.. I guess that this could create a lifelong phobia.
But I feel better now that I am not hiding this. And it turns out, one of my coworkers loves snakes and used to work at a zoo, and wants to see them. And my supervisor has a bearded dragon.

Good for you(I guess!) ;) I've been out of the snake closet for a while now, but fortunately I don't know anyone who is afraid of snakes because of religion. How silly. Maybe you made a friend out of this experience. :)

I have my balls on the wall here in my cubical ;) That's how I came out of hte snake closet hehehe

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Originally Posted by gibbrishclown

I have my balls on the wall here in my cubical ;) That's how I came out of hte snake closet hehehe

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My office board has grandkids pics, snakes dogs, frog eating a mouse and horse.

That's awesome!

When I came out of the snake closet at work, first there were some looks of horror and a bunch of questions. Now, about once a week, some of the ladies come up to me and ask if Panndor and Loki ate this week and how they're doing and how big they are. It's hilarious! They can't remember work stuff some of the time, but they know my snakes' names and when their feeding day is. I think coming out of the closet actually helped them address their fears and realize they weren't really grounded in reality.

Now, people are asking me "how are they doing?" :)
I don't really care if people talk about me behind my back about it. I hear what they say about each other behind Their Backs! So keeping snakes is nothing compared to, say, "she slept with him" and so on.. lol..

Gen, I don't know what that's all about... sometimes I think that that response is still one of fear, but a fascinated fear... like the way I felt looking at my friends newly split tongue... I didn't really want to look, but after seeing, I was a little fixated... similarly when I told some friends about a recent girly piercing, I haven't heard the end of the questioning..."what's it doin' today?" every day LOL... Same with the snakes. Do your coworkers ask you how they are with a little wrinkle on their nose? Just curious... it seems like when non snake loving chicks talk to me about mine they have a funny look on their faces... LOL. I think it's cool that you and your coworkers have more to talk about now... that's always nice, right?

Yeah I'd totally take "she keeps snakes" to "she's ______" (insert cliche bash on a female here) please bust my chops about the pets I own if that's the other alternative!

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Originally Posted by gibbrishclown

I have my balls on the wall here in my cubical ;) That's how I came out of hte snake closet hehehe

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Hehe ditto :)

I'm glad that your co-workers have accepted your snake-loving side Gin. It's always nice not to feel like you have to hide part of your life with people that you work with. I actually mention my snake collection in my resume. I guess it's one of the perks of working in the zoological field :D .

-Evan

Though I'm sure most people I work with know I own snakes, they also don't care all that much, which makes for very little snake story sharing. At least my husband has some snakey people to talk to!

Guess that is one of the hazards of working in the gaming/software industry!

More people than I realized at my job know that I keep snakes. It amazes me when someone from the other office brings up my snakes to me in conversation and I'll say "how did you know I have snakes?" and the reply is usually "everyone knows you have snakes". This is a company of over 900 employees in Atlanta alone.

They don't always understand it, but I guess I'm known as "the snake lady" here at work.

I have a picture of my BRB as my wallpaper on my computer. I need to take a new pic of my BP to replace it.

I actually had three delivered to where I work. No one was going to be home, it was winter, so I said screw it, I would just get them here. I kept it low key, and only a few people actually saw them. Everyone here knows, and no one is surprised.

It is funny.. they do have that little weird expression.. but to varying degrees. My one friend at work asked me why I am not afraid of snakes.. I countered that she has a 2000-lb Hereford bull (they run a beef farm) and That would scare me! It could do a lot more harm than one of these little snakes could..

Wait.

You were scared to tell them you owned snakes?

:rolleye2:

I was a bit nervous at first but I was so excited about my snake I just couldn't keep it quiet. So, I took him for show and tell. There was way more interest and knowledge in the group than I had expecte. And, I found out one of my co-workers was a reptile lover. They had a red-tail when he was a kid. I kept asking him when he was getting a snake but he said he had enough with his other pets. But, the reptile expo came to town a few weeks ago and now he's got himself a baby blood!

I, too, have the desktop photos :D No shame!

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Originally Posted by rabernet

They don't always understand it, but I guess I'm known as "the snake lady" here at work.

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Well it's not as bad as being known as the dog lady for over 20 yrs.!!:oops:

yeah.....coming out of the snake closet was never hard for me.....as the closet door was never closed!!! 90 percent of the pictures i have, in my ZUNE,hpotographs, drawings,fremed photos,etc., are of snakes...the other 10 percent is of my family,friends,vacations,etc. i am also known as "the snake lady" by neighbors,coworkers, and friends.

Lol,

I came out of the REPTILE closet at work, people were always like why do you always have scrapes on your arms and hands?

Then comes the explaining of the Beardie I have that loves to scratch me and now that I have a Tegu...I will be cut up always lol.

Then came out of the snake closet a little later :)


Mike

lol. I have a co-op student who sits in my cube (it has 4 desks in it) and I'm surprised I don't get asked more often about the animals I keep, since the co-op student usually changes once or twice a year.

I don't have any snakes or spiders up anywhere, since I don't want to freak out anybody that's phobic. However, I have a gecko calendar hanging up, a carved green stone frog on my desk and a small plastic tortoise, so it's rather obvious that I like reptiles. My manager asks me about my collection from time to time, he knows I keep a bunch of creepy crawlies.

Im an Emergency Room RN. I check the forums and King Snake while at work during down time. People started asking me what the hell I was looking at. I told them I keep and breed reptiles. Most people reacted with the normal gross out and over exagerated reactions. I found it funny how many guys are completely terrified of reptiles. When I tell them my 7 year old daughter has a pet ball python, they freak. I calmly explain that my snakes have never hurt me or my children. And that every single hampster, gerbil, ginnea pig, and sugar glider has bit the tar out of us. My snakes don't smell bad and are quiet and much more interesting to watch. Which is a better pet? He He :P

I've been razzed a few times, esp. when the local paper had an article and pic of an escapee albino burm (for the 2nd time in less than a year, no less!). I've got some snakey wallpaper on the PC, and one pic of Apollo from the breeder posted in my cubicle. My closest coworkers know and sometimes ask about them.


I have one close GF here at work who is curious / fascinated and always asking me questions.

For the MOST part, I didn't have to come out of the snake closet, but it doesn't get discussed much either.:(

all in all I think its good because it helps build the awareness that these animals need/deserve.

I've taken my co-workers to my computer to show them my website...


Ooooh the questions they have!

Also, I have a couple new customers now that people know what I do out of work!!!

It's a great way to share the love and passion that we have as herpers. I am absolutely not ashamed at all.

It's actually even on my resume!!! :D