Are you willing to believe?

A few weeks ago the Standard Examiner had an article promoting the book "Mysteries and Legends in Utah" by Michael O' Reilly; this book is filled with our state's true stories of the unsolved and unexplained. The Standard chose to touch on two of the book's topics Bigfoot (Yeti, Sasquatch) and UFO's (unidentified flying objects). I am typically superstitious and almost always gullible when it comes to things of this nature. I've always been drawn to such mysteries because it makes me feel adventurous and excited inside about the world we live in. I know many, me included, believe that we are blind to so many things in this world, much is left to discover and much of it we probably never will. Upon becoming aware of the article and reading it and learning that there have been 17 sightings alone in North Ogden, Jon and I discussed it freely with my mother and father-in-law. Denice and I were all for it, the article made us believers and we are jumping at the chance to purchase Mr. O'Reilly's novel, Jon and Okey on the other hand with the lack of a better term bashed the ideas and complained about numerous, understandable points. I might mention that both are avid hunters and have "traveled and explored" nearly every mountaintop in Utah-there wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in that I promise you ;) Their points were:

1. Why have we not found a carcus of this supposed bigfoot?
2. Why can't anyone capture a picture of him?
3. Why can't anybody shoot him?
4. Why is it that when others have "sighted" him in an area-nobody can ever seem to find him there again?

There are many unanswered questions that plenty of people have on the matter. A gentleman who shared his story with the author was also printed in the Standard's article. He was an older man who seemed intelligent and sane. He came into contact with "bigfoot" while camping with his two grandson's in the Uintahs-he felt that this creature has a mystical power and can not be shot or captured on film-which slides in another direction that many believers think that it's possible that bigfoot could in fact be Cain from 'Cain and Abel' the story of the first murderer in our holy bible.

After the casual discussions I shared with family about it I couldn't help but become highly interested. The next day I did some research on our dear friend Mr. Bigfoot and I couldn't believe how much I found. Magazine and newspaper articles, published books, huge conventions held for men and women from around the world who gather search teams who have a career in and spend their lives trying to find this unobtainable creature. I know I mentioned I was gullible earlier but it is hard for me to believe that there would be so much out there on such a creature that isn't real. I am positive that there are the types of people who get a kick out of playing tricks or those that fabricate stories for their socialites justto get a rise out of them, but according to some of the articles I read, there have been tracks found in such desolate places that would make you question why anybody would take the time and bother to create such tracks when there is a 90% chance they'd never be found. So that is my question why bother?

I don't know if it's bigfoot, I don't know if odd lights in the sky are aliens, but I do know that there are still mysteries in this world and it wouldn't hurt to start believing in some of them. There are plenty of stories that we can talk ourselves out of, but I believe in this situation there is too much evidence to call it a hoax.
Next time you hear a bump in the night and before you tell yourself it's just your imagination, open your mind up to the possibility that it could be something real.



Call me crazy, but I'm a believer.