Presenting the idea of bigfoot

    Got a long one for ya' guys. Brace yourselves.
 

Photo by pursurethepassion - Flickr.com

    Statements such as "You believe what?", or "there's no such thing", and sometimes even "You're crazy!" accompany the awkward and often embarrassing confession that one is a believer in the possibility of a North American great ape. Largely thanks to a combination of poor representation, hoaxes, and widespread disbelief, believers are commonly met with ridicule and belittlement. Even worse is the plight of those who have had an encounter with one of these animals. To reveal such an experience is to expose oneself to the scrutiny of an environment where the majority of people will tell you that you are "mistaken" and that "such a creature couldn't possibly exist."

    And yet, it is vital that we bigfoot believers not be driven from our beliefs by skeptics. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not advocating blind belief. I firmly support the idea that everyone should look at all of the evidence in a given scenario and draw their own conclusions. What I am advocating is that those who have come to the conclusion that an undiscovered great ape may exist in the wilderness of North America should not back down from their beliefs because of scrutiny from their peers, or a lack of belief on the behalf others. I mean, the first people to dare to say the world wasn't flat had a heck of a time as well.

    I am also not supporting the bashing of skeptics. In my experience, many bigfooters look at skeptics as their opponents. This is surely not the case, nor should it ever be. If anything, a skeptic is merely someone who has not yet seen enough evidence to come to the conclusion that bigfoots exist. Looking at all of the flak that believers take, who can blame them? I believe we should see skeptics as helpful to the cause of discovering North America's great ape. Skeptics continually challenge the evidence brought before them which helps us bigfooters to weed out the hoaxes and bloblsquatches and present a stronger case in the future. As well, skeptics help fuel the drive of bigfooters to capture ever more conclusive evidence that the big guy exists. After all, science is based on skepticism.

    For these reasons speaking to others about bigfoot is a daunting task. A task best approached, in my opinion, very carefully. The birth of this site makes for a very useful example in this discussion. I originally created Na-ga as a final project in my ENC1102 course at Florida State University. As part of that project I had to present this website before the class. Needless to say, the prospect was both exciting and nerve-racking. I've never been one to have a problem with speaking in public. But speaking about bigfoot in public is an entirely different matter.

    When I presented Na-ga to the class I took a slower approach, preferring to preface the presentation with a word of caution instead of just flat out saying: "I did a project on bigfoot guys!" I opened with: "Morning everyone, this may be one of your weirder presentations." Then, after a short pause, "I've been interested in this possibility for a long time and I feel there is more to it than what most people think. My project is on the possibility of the existence of an undiscovered great ape living in North America." Then, bombs away: "Or, as it is more commonly known, bigfoot."

    In the end, my presentation went over well with a lot of the class visibly interested in the idea of bigfoot (especially when I showed the photos and played some audio). As long as one approaches the situation carefully and fully explains their beliefs (along with any supporting evidence), I feel expressing belief in the big guy can be much easier than previously thought (and hopefully less awkward). However, not all experiences with expressing one's belief in bigfoot go so well.

    Last summer I was at a weekly meeting with my Boy Scout Troop. I don't recall how, but the conversation moved to the subject of bigfoot. The two guys I was talking to had only ever heard of bigfoot through Jack Link's commercials and other such pop-culture jokes. Needless to say, when I mentioned that I believed the big guy existed, they were dumbfounded. The part of their reactions that stood out most to me was their complete inexperience with the bigfooting world. One of the guys even asked if I thought there was just one bigfoot or many of them. (Obviously a breeding population is necessary for the survival of the species. However, this shows just how uninformed these two were on the subject.)

    In the end, the conversation consisted of me answering their half-serious questions and trying to convince them that there was more to the phenomenon than beef jerky commercials. I left the experience with a new outlook on how to talk to people who aren't yet believers. Don't look at these people as your opponents, or just some "uninformed morons", but as individuals who have yet to be exposed to the body of evidence that supports the existence of an undiscovered great ape. A conversation like this is an opportunity. Bigfooters should embrace such interactions. They are a chance to help another person on their way to examining the case for bigfoot and eventually, drawing their own conclusions. Worst case scenario, you get people thinking and discussing the possibility of this creature's existence. Discussion raises awareness.

    Have you ever talked to someone about your belief in a North American great ape? How did it go?

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.