I Wonder

Before heading home from work last night, Pat stopped by a friend's place to help out with a sick horse, then filled the water tank on the back of his pickup. By the time he reached our driveway, it was past 8:30, still an hour and a half before the sunset. Just a few yards up from the mailbox, a rattler stretched out across the gravel seeking warmth from the encroaching cool night air. His fateful mistake realized all too late as Pat approached driving a 3/4 ton truck with a full (400 gallon) tank of water in the bed. Not sure if he actually hit the snake, he backed up and drove over him again before continuing on.

Several minutes later, our neighbor, Brooke, paid homage herself by driving over the now fatally injured snake, then backing up and hitting him again.

I can't help but wonder as I watch this drama unfold--is the snake really that resilient? Has he survived for thousands of years because he's made of krypton? I'm wondering if we give him too much credit or if we just plain don't like to see the slithering reptile so we commit overkill in the name of safety. It seems we are not satisfied unless or until it no longer resembles a snake, but could pass as anything unfortunate enough to cross our path. For now, I wonder, and so it is.