How I came to have my pets. Warning: Emo Inside

[Soterios]

I figured with all the threads about why you own snakes, I thought I'd share how I came to have the animals I do. I apologize for it's length.

When I was three, I got my first pet. I was playing outside, saw a snake (garter) and chased it around until I caught it. I put it in a bucket, put some grass in it and ran home. My parents said I could keep it. I named him Sammy.

Sammy was the start. Over the years I had a few other pets. A few newts here, some anoles there, and an albino rat snake. When Sammy died when I was twelve though, it broke my heart, and I lost most of the interest I once had in owning an animal.

Flash forward about ten years. Without going into great detail, I found myself rather promiscuous (as most 22 year old men are) and wound up getting some rather frightening news. A girl I had seen a few months earlier had an abortion. A combination of wanting to get away from all of that, and a general unhappiness with my current situation, I did the cowardly thing, and ran away from my problems.

I moved 1500 SW to Arizona. My friend had a room here and it seemed like a nice place to live. Still reeling emotionally, partying became my pastime. Most of my paycheck went to drinking and going out, and I toddled along for about a year as a pathetic waste of space. I woke up one morning next to someone I didn't know, in my apartment, after a night I was supposed to drive. The realization that I drove home drunk enough to not remember was a real eye-opener.

So I threw out what booze I had left in the apartment, and decided to sign myself up for a way to turn myself around.

I made the best decision I've made in years. I picked up an Albino California King snake. Spending time with it and taking care of it allowed me an outlet for all things problematic.

Since turning to snake/pet ownership as my in house hobby, I've greatly improved my financial situation, bought a house, gotten back in shape, and have been sober for almost 18 months. I feel like I've really started doing something with my life.

I feel like my snakes saved my life.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the emo story.

What have your snakes done for you.