I was 13 (only 3 years ago lol) and had taken a reptile and amphibian study merit badge course at winter camp for boy scouts and in order to get the merit badge I need to keep a reptile for a period of 3 months and record its feeding and everything like that now ive been wanting a snake for literally as long as I can remember..(in school I always the kid sitting away from the others in the library reading about snakes and reptiles)... but my dad has always been against them and insisted I borrow another scout members snake but I refused so he then tries to get me to get a lizard or frog but I still refrused..he wanted me to get as many merit badges as I could and all so after he talked to a friend of his who had a female he believed was gravid and would give me one the babies he finally agreed..a few weeks later after many reads through a ball python book I had bought we get a call from the guy saying his female isent gravid but he has a friend at a pet store near by who takes very good care of their pets (River city exotics in SA, TX highly reccomend them) so we go there and I picked out little apollo he was 6 months old at the time but a good eater and everything..had him for 3 years now and as sappy as it may sound I dont know what id do if I couldent come in my room every night and see him in his tank..hopefully he will be with me till atleast my late 30's

Talk about a companion for life lol