I hear people say, flippantly and often: "You can't choose your family."

On one hand, this is true. You can not choose to whom you are related by genetics. However...if you go back far enough, how many of us carry the same genetics without knowing it? And, what are genetics...really? A code for biological construction. Do they serve to construct our Soul...our Spirit? No, I don't believe that. They serve to provide the housing our Spirit inhabits while we walk....for a short time....on Earth. What is the purpose in Life? If you are a Scientist, you will have a vastly different view of this question than someone who is religious. A person who is religious will have a different view of this than someone who is spiritual. And all of these people will have a different view opposing someone who is an Atheist. Who is right? My answer to that is: "Does it matter?"

What DOES matter? To me, what matters is that we find who we are while we are here. This may seem a simple answer, but you know me (or you're learning to know me!). Nothing is ever simple with me! Part of finding who WE are, is reaching out and touching other lives. I really like the concept of people being in our lives "For a reason. For a season. For a lifetime." Chaos Theory provides a bounty of ideas around the main concept that there is no such thing as coincidence. That's the bottom line. Choosing to believe this concept requires you to stretch your thought processes and view your life in a constructive and analytical manner. Choosing to believe this also provides you with the unique opportunity to view the people in your life in the facets and concept of " A reason... A season... A lifetime."

Being in Herpetology all of my life has been an amazing experience. I have been afforded many, many opportunities that most people will never have. I have studied, played with and interacted with animals ranging from commonplace to highly exotic. I have met people who have changed my life. Both the animals and the people have helped me to stretch my knowledge in Herpetology, Biology, and then into areas more subtle...Sociology, Anthropology, Theology, and more. There is never a boring moment when you combine animals and people. There are quiet moments, exciting moments, moments of epiphany! There are moments of hilarity and moments you could gleefully strangle someone. But never boring. And through all of this...you find family.

Being a woman in a field that has historically been managed by men has been a lifelong balancing act for me. I do not "look" like the stereotypical person who keeps snakes, lizards and other "strange" animals. This statement is becoming, thankfully outdated. When I was first starting out doing lectures and seminars for law enforcement surrounding exotic animals, the one comment I never failed to receive was: "What is someone who looks like you doing playing with these kinds of animals?" That question, I learned, was multi-fold. I was a woman who looked like she should be doing something more mainstream. And - GASP - a BLONDE woman at that! Men were quick to close their minds to me and women actually became somewhat angry with me. Good thing I was young and liked a challenge! Over the years, I was able to learn how to present myself in a way that drew people to view my lectures with a wary fascination.

I spent hours upon hours researching, doing labs and actually providing husbandry for the animals I lectured on. I contacted the top people in the field to engage them in conversation and thereby soak up their knowledge and advice. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself and that was a good thing. Back when I was starting in the field, the top people knew each other on a personal basis because the field was smaller. And if you didn't know them personally, you knew OF them, at the very least. Herpetology was not the "HOT" hobby it now is (get it... hot?!). I watched these contemporary peers grow in their respective fields and contribute knowledge and new findings that will immortalize their names in our history. I watched these people contribute to saving lives. Some by studying the molecular biology of venoms like Bryan G. Fry. Bryan has changed the way we all view venom. Some, like Paul Rowley, by collecting venoms to be used in research and medicine. Some, like Wolfgang Wuster, by studying, researching and then teaching their findings. Dick Bartlett has provided an amazing wealth of information and photography, popularizing reptiles for a broad audience. John Binns has labored tirelessly to saving species of Iguana that our children can see in the flesh because he literally helped ensure those species' survival. Al Hyde has provided articulate and unique information on highly exotic species that even scientists have failed to observe. Robert Sprackland has provided ubiquetous knowledge that is presented in an entertaining way. It's always easier to soak up knowledge when you are being entertained. Terry Phillip provides entertainment and education in the form of a zoological experience on a level that is more intimate than what you find in sprawling zoos. Sean Bush has saved lives and provided comfort and second chances to people who are very lucky to have him share his knowledge as an MD. There are many, MANY more people out there who have provided an immense wealth of information from their own experiences. I will respect their privacy here by not naming them, but I bet you have at least heard their names.

Then there are the women who have been in the field, right beside the men. The women have always been there... but you might not be able to name them as easily. Not from years past. Luckily, their hard work is now showing because I see young women who are growing, stretching and improving their standing in Herpetology. Women who are outspoken and demand their voices be heard. Cindy Steinle and Desiree Wong are two of my personal idols. These two women have helped change the hobby enough that you now accept women in herpetology without question. They are intelligent, versed women in the field. They know the animals and they know the people. They have worked hard and are respected because they earned it. There are, of course, many more women who have and continue to contribute. Alice Grandison made her name known through Herpetology at the British Museum of Natural History. Doris Cochran made her name known at the Smithsonian Institute as the Curator of Herpetology. Grace Whitney and Martha Campbell are two more amazing woman who pursued their dreams and saw them grow into reality.

What most of these people and many others have learned over the years, is that they have become more than acquintances. They have become family. This is a family that grows and expands across years and encompasses the entire globe. This family works hard and plays hard. I have watched these people share knowledge and expand the field...but I have also watched them provide comfort, laughter, support and a life force to each other. These are some of the most loyal and caring people on the planet and I can say that because I am proud to call them MY family.

Over the coming months, I will share stories with you surrounding The Family. If you want to learn about the people, the hobby and herpetology in general, you will enjoy the short glimpses into my life. I share with only love, honor and respect. You will not find juicy gossip in my stories so please just skip past them if that's your objective. I will ask permission from anyone I write about well ahead of time so don't think you are going to be thrown into a public arena without warning!

Yes, I live in interesting times... and I am very thankful that I share this brief walk with the people I do. Take a walk with me and meet the people who change the world. You never know; YOUR name could be here next! I think Raymond Ditmars would be proud of us.

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