Reflections from the Swamp
Dear Reader
We are on the cusp of navigating the troubled waters of trade tariffs with no clear captain to steer the ship. Bullies surround our boat while the mermaids and sirens keep whispering about where the safe passageways are. These two topics, trade and leadership, are the main focus of what we hear in the media. We hear almost nothing about Bigfoot and his concerns.
Writers and storytellers tell lies. We call it fiction. Raw facts, like potatoes, are drab and beg for embellishment and spice. The reader can read the book, set it aside, and judge whether it was good. The universe continues to unfold as it should. Creativity is what we share with Nature.
Conspiracy theories, although entertaining, muddy the lines between truth and fiction. They are not the same kind of lies that writers of fiction use; these theories manipulate the public for political gain. They often spread fear and hate.
While on our walks in the woods, my bride and I often encounter Bigfoot, and we share a coffee from my thermos while sitting on a fallen log near the trail. We discuss climate change, pretty female Bigfoots, and the best carrion(beaver) available in the area.
Bigfoot is about eight feet tall and has thick red-brown wavy hair (he looks like Chewy from Star Wars). He has size 22 feet. At first, we were afraid of him until he waved us over to his fire and offered us some boiled beaver. Since then, we have become friends and often share walks and meals. He loves the spices we gave him to enhance his stews. Bigfoot loves going for long walks and told us he walked here from Saskatchewan, where he was a part of the Sasquatch nation.
We live on the unceded territory of the Sasquatch Bigfoots! I didn’t know that. Bigfoots believe that all the Earth belongs to Nature, and the plants and animals are the guardians. After we introduced ourselves, we asked him what his name was. He said, just call me Hairy.
I tried to secretly take Hairy’s picture from a distance. All photos turned out blurry. He refused to let me take his picture, which would allow me the proof I needed to validate my claims about seeing him. Falling snow or strong winds erase his footprints. I write down his words of wisdom in my notepad. I would never claim them as my own.
Unlike stereotypes of his species, Hairy Bigfoot is well-educated, politically astute, and wise. Although he has enormous feet, he also has a sizeable brain. Hairy weighs over 500 pounds; he is no easy pushover.
While sitting down in the woods next to a boiling pot of organic beaver with no gluten, dairy or preservatives, we discussed the recent election south of here, the victory of “The Grand Pooh-bah,” and the use of conspiracy theories to confuse the voters.
Bigfoot has a way of boiling down the carrion and getting to the meat of the matter. He said,” Despite record high employment, decreasing inflation, and falling crime rates, The Grand Pooh-bah convinced enough people that immigrants broke America, and only he could save the country by kicking out the immigrants (and Bigfoot tribe members) and lowering the price of eggs. He included many lies about immigrants eating dogs, raping and killing people in border states, and stealing jobs from blacks. He has since planned tariffs, spreading panic to all his trading partners, including Canada.”
The Pooh-bah ignored the only issue Bigfoot was concerned about: climate change. The Grand Pooh-bah’s tactics worked.
While sitting around the fire, we exchanged thoughts about the uncertain future.
Bigfoot mused, “I know you humans are concerned about trade, jobs, and rising prices, and I feel for you, but you keep ignoring what your actions are doing to the planet. Every time you have a crisis you scramble around like chickens with their heads cut off and kick climate change actions down the road. The habitat for Bigfoots in the west is burning down due to climate change as I speak.”
My bride told him, “We depend on jobs and trade to keep the economy going; if a trade war causes widespread unemployment, the economy will collapse. All our adult kids and their offspring will move into the basement, and we will run out of potatoes. We’ll have to hide the crayons. Instead of drawing unemployment, the kids will start drawing on the walls. I appreciate cave art, but cleaning the walls is nearly impossible.”
Bigfoot nodded in agreement with my bride. “I heard stories passed on by the ancient relatives. Some of my kin got stuck in a cave with their kids during the ice age. The kids started drawing on the walls with whatever they used for crayons back then. Those drawings are still there!”
Hairy took another sip of coffee and said,” Many human problems are caused not by your oversized feet but by your inflated egos. Your ego keeps you prisoner. You are subject to its whims and fancies. The rich and powerful keep it all for themselves. The Grand Bigfoot once said, “If you have two beaver coats, give one to your neighbour.”
Hairy continued, “Humans think they are separate from Nature and not a part of it. Ask what is best for the planet, which badly needs your focus as the world heats up. Find the joy in living and being human as a part of Nature. Canada is full of Nature and is a great place to live.”
I love Hairy. Hairy Bigfoot gave us a lot to think about. I hope you meet someone like him to help provide perspective about life and what is valuable and vital. If you see a Bigfoot and try to take a picture, the photo will always be blurry. Like love, Bigfoots are hard to see in pictures. You must recall what your Bigfoot said by digging deep into your soul, hearing his voice and bringing these truths to light.
