This afternoon Truett and I took Madeline and Oliver to swim lessons. We had to park behind the swimming complex because Sesame Street Live was to be held tonight and the closer parking lot was closed.
On the long walk back to the car after swimming lessons Maddie spied a tiny, baby chameleon.
"Oh, Nana!" she squealed. "Look!"
It was a cute little chameleon and had not gotten its color yet.
Then Maddie proceeded to try to catch the little 2 inch chameleon.
"I've NEVER caught one before," she said, "And I really want to!"
Then I was reminded of the Tennessee State Fair Sherry and I went to when we were nine years old. A vendor was selling live, green chameleons from Florida to anyone willing to spend fifty cents.
Around the chameleons necks was a thin string and attached to the end of the string was a miniscule gold safety pin.
Sherry and I bought a chameleon and pinned the string to our collars while the frightened green chameleon darted around our necks, across our shoulders and down our blouses.
Talk about animal abuse! By the time we got back home we had dead chameleons to show for our fifty cents.
I tried to convince Maddie that the little chameleon was only a baby and was very fragile and to just enjoy watching it dart around.
But. . .with Truett's encouraging words, Maddie caught it anyway.
It finally leapt to the ground where it landed belly-up.
We then convinced Maddie to pick it up and toss it in the bushes to be with its mommy.
Of course Maddie is no dummy. She said, "But Nana. The bigger lizards will eat it."
After it was tossed in the bushes we headed to the car and I felt sad for the baby chameleon. I doubt it will ever dart again. Then I thought about the fair and how children are drawn to the wonder of chameleons.
I remember as a child one of the most exciting parts of our annual trips to Florida was the prospect of catching a chameleon to take back with me to Kentucky. Sometimes I could catch one, sometimes not.
Posted by: Tiffany | October 07, 2010 at 12:04 PM