The Beginning Ends

Now a few days have gone by at this point…and me being the generally busy guy that I am, took my sweet time going to the MABRC website…but when I did…I found out that there is one thing even more exciting than crazy people in person…and that is crazy people with a computer, internet access, and apparently way too much time on their hands...

i browsed around for a while…and found the application for membership within the MABRC…it was a rather in depth and long essay style application with lots of interesting questions like "Do you think bigfoot is a real flesh and blood creature?" and "Do you think bigfoot has any special powers or abiliites?"…now my mind was just awash with ideas for filling out the form…but the one thing that I had to do was try to pull off a convincing cover...

I've heard it said in a television show about secret agents that stakeouts are 80% of the job…and that a convincing cover is the other 20%...so my goal was to watch and learn…and hopefully become a full fledged member of the MABRC…however…the comedic side of me wanted to make my application so ridiculous that they would know that I wasn't being true to the cause…I wanted to say that Bigfoot was especially gifted at Physics and Mathematics…and that Bigfoot could control the weather patterns…and that Bigfoot was crucified, dead, and buried. On the third day he arose from the dead and ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of Nessie, the Loch Ness Almighty…so I waited...

I decided to fill out the application as straight forward as possible…no crazy stuff…and within 2 days received a phone call requesting an interview…I was nervous and a thousand questions were racing through my brain…how good were these crazies at determining if I was one of them?…how often do they do these kinds of interviews and turn people down?...what if I was rejected from membership in the MABRC?...how would I live with myself?...as you can see…I had built it up in my head…I emailed the moderator and founder of the MABRC and let him know the best times to call me for an interview…and I waited…

and waited…and waited…3 weeks went by and I was absolutely positve I had been found out and that they had rejected my membership based on the fact that I had laughed out loud during Bigfootville (my favorite bf documentary that airs on the Travel Channel every now and again)…I knew it was over…I was beginning to give up hope…when all of a sudden…on July 3rd…there was a flashing red light on my phone…an email had come in…and I read it…apparently, they must either be too scared to interview or are in such a need for members that they'll accept anyone that applies…the message said that I had been accepted as a Junior Field Researcher in the MABRC…and that all I had to do was email them a reply and let them know if I wanted the position…I accepted and my life changed forever…

The Beginning of the Beginning

So I have loved Bigfoot ever since I can remember…not so much the idea of a large hairy creature that stalks the countrysides in rural America torturing livestock and druken hillbillies…but more the idea that the people who have claimed to see him will get on television and swear to the exsistence of a mythical creature with all the faith that the Pope has in Catholocism…I love Bigfoot for the same reason I love the show Cops…it is a chance to see very real people saying very ridiculous things and believing them with all of their hearts…and there seems to be a high occurrence of mullets in both Bigfoot sightings and episodes of Cops…

now my desk set up at work is pretty bare…I am a guy after all…but one of my prize possessions is a Bigfoot action figure with Real(!) Footprint Action…it has stamps on the bottom of the feet and it came with a stamp pad so you can make it look like a little bitty Bigfoot (Li'l Bigfoot is his rapping name) has walked all over your paperwork…

So my first week out of training, I was sitting at my desk getting used to working real cases in real time…I've been there about 3 or 4 days at this time…I don't really know too many people on the floor yet…keep quiet and to myself for the most part…
I had a feeling that someone was staring at me…when I turn around and take off my headphones, I see someone that I have never seen before staring at me…smiling…making me feel very uncomfortable…when he says to me, "I like your Bigfoot statue."

We start talking and our dialogue goes something like this:
Bigfoot Guy (bfg): Do you ever watch Monster Quest?

Me: Yeah *thinking--'What in the world is Monster Quest?'*

Bfg: I've gotten to meet the host. You know there's a Bigfoot convention in Honobia in October.

Me:*my eyes widen* Really?

Bfg: Yeah. You should think about going. You should also check out the MABRC website. *he said the name of the organization, but i am not going to disclose it for my sake and possibly bf's*

Me: I'll do that.

Bfg: I've been on a few expeditions myself.

Me:*straight faced as I can possibly be* Have you ever seen one?

At this point, he tells me the same thing I have ever heard from people that believe in Bigfoot

Bfg:Well…I haven't, but I know some people that have and they would have no reason to lie to me.

Me: Right on. *secretly doing the fist pump in the air and thinking 'We have a live one!'*

Now I realize that to most people this just seems like pure and utter absurdity, but I love the absurd.

Shortly after the end of our conversation, bfg sent me an email with info about the MABRC that stated if I wanted to become a member, to let him know and he would recommend me for membership…I was estatic…You know that feeling you get when you first start dating someone…and no matter what they do or when they do it you just feel on top of the world?...it was like that only better…like finding a $20 bill in your coat pocket…I couldn't stay seated…I had to get up and walk around…I had to tell someone…but I had to do it without looking like a crazy person…I was in heaven…