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OklahomaSquatch
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 03:27 pm |
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Part 1
In 2000 I started a journey. In 1999 I had a near death experience. I spent 10 days in ICU, and another 4 days on top of that getting back to a position where I was strong enough to go home. The first 2 days I was there they gave me a 20-25% chance of making it. For whatever reason, the powers that be brought me back and sent me home. It was 5 months later one of my best friends was killed by a drunk driver. He had just turned 22. Just 2 months after that my great grandfather passed away. We buried him 3 days before my birthday. I was raised by my great grandparents, and he had always been the father figure in my life. It was an extremely hard loss, and still causes me to grimace in pain at the thought of those days. Needless to say it was the hardest year of my life, and I consider it my time of rebirth. I'm not sure what role any of it played in my decision to start this new journey, but I feel it had something to do with it.
My great grandfather, which I knew as "grandpa" was an outdoorsmen. Unlike many of today's outdoorsmen, his started out as a means of survival, and not sport. He had grown up in the bottoms of Arkansas coming from a family of 8 brothers and sisters. An extremely poor family who lived off the land and did what they could to put food in their mouths. Shoes on their feet would have been a luxury. Grandpa was the oldest of the bunch, and it was his duty to provide for his family. He would either hunt or fish daily, while the rest of the family would tend to their own chores. If he didn't bring something home, his family didn't eat. When put in that situation it takes a couple things to make it successful. First you have to have an absolute intimiate knowledge of the outdoors and the things that call it home, and secondly you have to be able to apply that knowledge directly to accomplish your task. There was not much room for error, and there wasn't time in the day to be spent on trying gimmicks to acquire your goals. It was that knowledge, wisdom, and teachings that were passed on to me as a child. I'm extremely grateful those things were passed on to me, my only regret being I didn't take the time to learn even more. But hidden within those teachings something else was passed down as well. Something I developed on my own without even realizing it. A respectful passion for nature. It was that passion that allowed grandpa to be successful, and it was respect that granted him true wisdom. Even in those harsh conditions he grew up in, when presented with the opportunity to bring home "extra" he never did. He always brought home "enough." He harvested out of neccessity, but after that part of his life was gone, he still spent as much time in nature as he could. He would have just as soon watched a deer going about it's business in the woods as shoot one. When he grew older he still enjoyed hunting and fishing, refining his techniques, but even then he would bring home only "enough." He taught me how to kill things, how to catch things, how to bring home food. But he also taught me the balance of it all. To use whatever I took, and to leave what I didn't need. Granted, when the fish were biting, we didn't call it quits because we had enough for dinner that night, but any extra we brought home would be given to someone else who needed or wanted it. I am very thankful for those teachings and wisdom to have been passed down to me. I had no idea how often I would use them, or how they would carry over into all aspects of my life. Nor did I have any idea they would eventually open a door to a journey I never would have imagined.
Which brings us to the year 2000. I grew up in what some consider a haunted house. I'm not here to try and convince anyone of that, or explain what all went on for people to reach that conclusion. I will just say this; there were enough experiences that I had during childhood for me to believe there was something going on. I was an only child, and spent most of my time around adults and older people. I was never talked to like a child, the people that knew me would talk to me the same way they would talk to anyone else. They would just be a little more patient with all my questions. Well when it came to the topic of the paranormal, people just didn't have the answers I desired. So I turned to books. It was in these books about the paranormal, that ultimately led to other books with a broader spectrum. Eventually I had books that not only talked about ghosts, but talked about other unexplained topics as well. Including Bigfoot. Over time Bigfoot became more interesting to me than the topic of ghosts was. Eventually if a book didn't contain at least a chapter on the subject, I would more than likely pass it by. The first book I owned that really had a focus on the subject was called Bigfoot and Nessie, printed in 1979. I had my grandma buy it for me at a garage sale for a quarter. By the time I owned a computer in 1998, I had read and watched everything on the subject I could get my hands on. Which where I live wasn't much. The Internet opened new and unexplored avenues for me however, and eventually in 1999 I opened up my search engine and typed in the word "Bigfoot." Needless to say that's when the rollercoaster ride really began. I had no idea how much information was out there. Granted, this information came in the form of sighting reports and speculation, but I was just amazed to learn that people actually formed organizations to go out and look for this creature. The door had been opened, now all I had to do was step through. And step through it I did.
Once I was able to get out into the field, I found that my passion and knowledge for the outdoors could easily be applied to my research. Afterall, Bigfoot are just another part of nature. For them to be a part of nature and exist as they had for so long, they had to fit into the balance of things. There is a certain way nature works, and many people do not understand that. They talk about it, they read books about it, they debate about it, but many just do not "get" it. Sure I tried following in the foot steps of all the greats that came before me, but I found certain flaws in their methods. Things that didn't fit into nature. There is a difference between studying animal behavior in a zoo or lab, and experiencing it first hand in the wild. A lot of so called experts did not grasp those concepts. There was a reason many of them kept their noses buried in literature citing the previous findings of others. There was a reason they studied and sought after these creatures for decades, only to accomplish nothing in terms of sightings or track findings. I also found there were others in the field who's methods did in fact work. They did have sightings, found tracks, and generally knew what they were talking about. You wouldn't find their names in any books, and they were none of the popular names on the Internet. They were all virtually unheard of. But when I took the knowledge I had of nature, and applied some of their own techniques, I started noticing and finding things as well. Real evidence of these creatures existence. So those were the people I tried to surround myself with. Those were the people who I shared ideas and theories with, and trusted with my findings.
Eventually I found myself leaving more and more equipment at home. I had been introduced to someone who I really clicked with. Our type of philosophies on things went hand in hand. I went from having a real purpose behind what I was doing, dropping any motives I had, and just started doing. Going back and letting nature be my guide. Getting back to my grandpa's teachings, and my childhood days of wandering around for hours in the woods. I started paying attention to what the wildlife was doing. It was the piece I had been missing in my quest. I came to the realization that I had been doing everything backwards. You don't set out into the woods with a camera in hand, peering through the viewfinder until you see something, and then hit record. That's a nearly impossible task. You learn where something will be. When it will be there. Why it is there. When it will leave. Then you go to it. It seems fairly simple because it is. It just isn't something that a person can learn overnight, and it's not something everyone is even capable of doing. It takes a certain mindset and understanding. That's why there are so many unsuccessful people in this field. They don't take the time to even learn the basic knowledge of the outdoors. They don't take the time to learn the ins and outs of the wildlife in their specific area of research. How could you identify something that way? If you don't know the order and actions of the environment, then how can you determine one thing from another? You can't. I learned what to look for, and how to look for it. If an area has these creatures in it, you will always find the same consistent things. Once you have figured out what all is in the area, and it's behavior patterns, you are left with a void. A void of something else living there. Just beneath the easily visible surface. Something with greater intelligence than the other animals. Something on two legs and of larger size. Something that interacts with it's environment. Something that the environment reacts to accordingly, and something that uses reasoning in it's actions. You find yourself with certain sign and evidence that can't be attributed to the "normal" wildlife. That was the pattern so many people were missing. The pattern is not preset or predetermined. It is a pattern of reasoning and independent thought. It is different from individual to individual, but the pattern is there.
To be continued...
Matt K.
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saycheez
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 03:48 pm |
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| Thanks, I can't wait to hear the rest.
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Squatch Seeker
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Posted: Fri Aug 15th, 2008 11:42 pm |
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Wow...I'm impressed with your writing style. I'm eagerly awaiting your next post. Thanks
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Shasta
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Posted: Sat Aug 16th, 2008 04:49 am |
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Eagerly awaiting part 2!!! Well done!!! 
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OklahomaSquatch
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Posted: Sat Aug 16th, 2008 11:33 am |
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Part 2
I've never been the type of person to toot my own horn. I don't like bragging, mainly because I think most braggers are liars, but also because I think the individuals who deserve to brag don't really need to. I don't generally try to tell people what Bigfoot does or doesn't do. I don't try to tell them I can lead them to a Bigfoot, or put them in a situation where they can have a sighting or an encounter of their own. Nor do I openly talk about the different sightings and encounters I've had on my own, the vocalizations I've heard, all the tracks I've found, or the various limb formations I've discovered. It's not because I haven't experienced these things, or that I wouldn't love to share this information with others. It's because each and every step of the way, every new discovery, every small glimpse I've had of one of these creatures has been a life altering moment. It's like standing across the room from a cracked curtain, and with each new thing the curtain is opened a little bit more, allowing more light to shine through, and allowing me to see more and more of what's beyond that veil. Those moments are special to me. I experienced them and know them to be as true as the sunrise. People will normally challenge that. They will question it. They will demand proof that I could never offer without them standing beside me. Whatever reason they have behind it, or what motivation leads them to do so, they will blemish it. They will force me into a position where I resent these things I have experienced. Not only that, but for the past 6 or 7 years of this I have lived in fright. Afraid that every time I offer up information, I am risking the possibility of that person stealing it for their own personal agenda. I was taught at a very early age you can learn a lot about people by just observing and keeping your mouth shut. So that's what I do when those subjects come up. Trust has never been something I've freely given. It has to be earned. I can not express the rage I feel when I share something with someone, I give them information based on my own hard work and research, and then I see them spreading it freely to others as if it were their own. And taking full credit for it the entire time. It's not because I am jealous that they are receiving respect and admiration that I feel slighted on, or that I deserve for what I've done. It's because they don't deserve it. They did nothing. Their self portrayed image is a false one based on a lie. And this happens in this community on a constant and regular basis.
I will no longer be living in those shadows. I can no longer worry about what might happen. Knowledge is meant to be shared just as a book's purpose is to be read. People can either take it or leave it. If they make the choice to not believe me so be it. If they demand proof they will have to be content with what I can offer them. If not, they need to go find their own proof. Just as I ultimately had to find my own. If people choose to represent themselves falsely, and use my own work and findings as their own, or the information they embezzle from someone else, that is their choice that they will have to live with. They might fool some people, but they won't fool all of them. I'd rather stand up and be my own man, knowing I am truly the person I represent myself as. Besides, Leonardo da Vinci might teach you how to paint, or you might steal one of his paintings and claim it as your own work, but that doesn't mean you'll ever be able to paint like da Vinci.
When God needed to cleanse the Earth, he did so with a great and mighty flood. A purging. When we were faced with the possibility that someone might actually have acquired a body, we went into turmoil. At this very moment, not only within the Bigfoot community, but literally around the globe, people are talking about this. People are discussing Bigfoot. Whether negatively or not, they are having it thrown in their faces.
This may be our great flood. The purging we all desperately needed whether we knew it or not. Regardless of if there is a body or not, this is a Bigfoot renaissance.
The rebirth and forced enlightenment of people within this community is an opportunity to lay a new foundation. The open communication and sharing of information is our Ark. Some of us will be lost to the flood. Others will choose to ignore it. Even more will just be flat out left behind. I for one have my tools in hand, and I'm ready to start building. The "proof" of these creatures existence happened for me long ago. My path has long since changed to one of learning about them. Trying to figure out their behavior. With each new step I find I learn more about myself as well. Yes, in some ways a body would be great. It would be vindication. It would throw open new doors of learning and understanding. It would literally re-write books. But I have books of my own to write. I'm still reading my own life's story. This journey is literally just beginning for me, not ending. I think if the thought of a body being revealed made your heart drop, you really should take the opportunity to learn why. Why have we spent so many years trying to find things to run to the media and public with? We should be accomplishing things that make the media and public run to us. Those of us who have reached our own proof should be working towards ways of being able to educate others with whatever slight bit of knowledge we possess. Each and everyone of us struggle for answers. We know they don't come easy. Why should we hide them from one another on top of that? If you live in fear that someone might discover these creatures, and cause them harm in some way, this whole body incident should really be an eye opener for you. What it has done is set up a scenario showing all of us exactly how much control we actually have. None at all. You might protect a small group of these creatures by keeping quiet about them, but that does nothing to prevent someone else from dragging a body out of the woods. Remember, fear is caused by the unknown, and violence happens out of fear. If a body isn't already sitting in a freezer at this very moment, it will be someday. I would much rather be in a position where I might be able to help educate people about these creatures, removing that fear of the unknown a bit thus helping preserve the well being of both sides, than one where I'm forced to sit on my hands and watch the chaos unfold around me.
Matt K.
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Robroy
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Posted: Sat Aug 16th, 2008 03:30 pm |
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Wow,OlkahomaSquatch,thats a whole lot of pondering!
I'll get back to this one after I have some time to think about it.Great writing by the way.
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It's just a Thought !
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Donna C
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Posted: Sat Aug 16th, 2008 05:51 pm |
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Hi Matt,
Well said!!! I agree with your sentiments and sincerely appreciate you sharing this with us.
Donna
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dlaw
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Posted: Sun Aug 17th, 2008 04:18 am |
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Matt, I enjoyed part 1 and 2-when can we expect part 3, or it still a work in progress?
Your "grandpa" apparently was a fine man, and it looks like you take after him.
Part 2 has some thought-provoking parts that I am still trying to digest.
Good post.
Dave
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Charley
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Posted: Mon Aug 18th, 2008 07:36 pm |
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Very well written piece.
I guess I would qualify as one of those people you referred to. I felt sick to my core
at the thought of one of these magnificent creatures coming to such an end. A part
of me hopes that the mystery will remain till the end of my days.
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