At the house we lived in up until my ninth year on the planet, there was a crawl space by the basement stairs that seemed to go on forever. When going down the stairs you could look over into the crawl space (the only part of that basement that was unfinished) although I seldom did. I didn't want to see eyes looking back at me. I didn't want to hear anything moving around. Anytime I had reason to go down into the basement I simply kept eyes forward, turned on the tunnel vision and made a mad dash down the stairs.
But then, one day, the kid that lived next door to us (who was my partner in crime in many situations our parents probably wanted us to avoid) got up our nerve and went halfway down the stairs and crawled up there with two flashlights. We spent half a Saturday getting up our nerve and then summoned up all the bravado that can live in a child of single digit age and climbed from staircase over into crawl space and began our journey. Needless to say, we found nothing but Georgia red clay and some vents in the cinder blocks through which one could see out into the side yard. We crawled far enough to look through those vents at green grass and sunshine. We then crawled back out of there quite disappointed, having lost a good measure of excitement from our young lives. Granted, it was excitement grounded in fear, but excitement none the less. And on that Saturday afternoon, it was taken from us!
Life is so much more fun if you think "something" is up there, out there or in there. If we've discovered everything that creeps and crawls and swims and flies then I think we're living in boring times! Plus my wife just gets way too much enjoyment watching me glued to television shows where folks from West Virginia to Australia are out in the woods and jungles looking for creatures that live (for some folks) only in legend and folklore. But I like to think they're just one step away from coming face to face with Bigfoot (or the Grafton Monster or the Hellhound or a Yowie.....)
They spend a lot of time on these shows howling off into the dark night. Sometimes they get a response. "SEE!?" I yell at her! "SOMETHING ANSWERED THEM!!!" "It's some other goober off in the woods yelling back at people stupid enough to be out yelling at things that aren't there!" she responds, usually through chuckles. She says it worries her that I lend any credence to their "research." Truth be told, I can spot a fake or staged "reality show" as easily as the greatest skeptic. I just don't want to. I guess being scared of stupid things is the last way someone my age can hold on to the heart of the child still living somewhere inside of an aging body. Besides, one should watch these shows if for no other reason than to feel better about themselves. Some of these "hunters" and "researchers" are more likely to find Bigfoot than they are a barber or a dentist. I ain't a handsome man but DANG I can clean up and look a sight better than that!!
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