I was enjoying a nap in my “Comfy Chair,” and a “Time Travel Time” dream occurred once again. I traveled back in time to the summer of 1970; I had just graduated from High School. Three of my High School buddies and I decided to go camping at Bald Mountain State Park. I could not sleep and looked at my watch, which glowed enough to see the time. It was 2:30 am. I decided to take a walk down the trail to the lake. It was eerily quiet; the lake was still with the moon and stars reflecting off the mirror-like surface. After a time, I headed back up the trail toward the campsite. Suddenly, I heard something walking in the brush parallel to me. I stopped walking; it stopped walking. I resumed walking, and it resumed walking. I stopped, and it stopped. Adrenaline began to flow through my body, and I began to sprint through the night to our tent. It also ran with me at full speed; I unzipped the tent and jumped in it, waking my buddies. They yelled out what the heck are you doing! I was shaking and sweating from the experience, and I told them I was being chased. Doug said probably “Big Foot!” they have been reported in this area. I have never been so scared in my life!
The next day, I researched the “Big Foot” legend at home. It began in 1958; some loggers in California found large, mysterious footprints. They thought it might be a relative of the Abominable Snowman from the Himalayas. Journalists Genzoli and Allen wrote about it, and to their surprise, it took off.
They wrote additional articles, and the legend was born. In a film, Patterson-Fimlin showed proof of a walking Big Foot for people to see. There have been many Big Foot reports, Wildman, Sasquatch, Skunk Ape, continues. The legend grew through the years, and Bigfoot evolved into an environmentalist. The Movie, “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” was so scary it kept me awake many nights listening to noises in the night. Then, the movie “Harry and the Henderson’s portrayed Big Foot as a friendly creature needing protection. There are many films and an abundance of books about Bigfoot. It continues to grow today and has become a media icon. Magazine, newspaper articles, and books have flourished.
Ray L. Wallace admitted that his dad created the footprints from wood and started the Bigfoot craze as a joke. But the legend has survived even after Ray showed the original Bigfoot wooden tool that created the impressions of the Big Foot’s feet. Around the United States, many Big Foot museums are located in Georgia, Oregon, Nebraska, North Carolina, Maine, and the list goes on. Many Communities celebrate Big Foot with festivals, signs, and reports of sightings. West Branch, Michigan, states that Big Foot loves to shop there!
I do not know what followed me that hot July night in 1970, but it could have been Big Foot!
“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 11/10/2023 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@aol.com
