When I was a boy I opened up a book that I still own today, Reader's Digest: Strange Stories, Amazing Facts: Stories that are Bizarre, Unusual, Odd, Astonishing and Often Incredible and saw this picture. It always creeped me out and excited me at the possibility. The monster section of Big Foot, Yeti, Loch Ness and all the other giant lake creatures was my favorite. But the Loch Ness monster was and is my favorite. Back in the 70s they used to do these weird TV shows where they tried to prove it existed. They were always accompanied by blurry photos of a possible shadow of a fin or nose. (Sounds like all those ghost shows today)
This is when I first started perusing things. Things like other books on the same subjects. Things like maps. I got the maps to see where Loch Ness was. And of course that started my love of a good map. Some maps had Loch Ness on it. Others didn't. Then I hit the jackpot. I think it was in an issue of Bananas, they had a cartoon map of the world and on it they had cartoon depictions of where Bigfoot and Nessy lived. Once I found this I pinned it up on my wall and used to study that map. I thought for sure I could travel the world using that map. It was mind blowing to a 8-year old.
This morning I happened upon this picture and I had a flashback of sitting at the dining room table with my book wondering if Loch Ness was real or not. I know back then when they were searching for it, I always rooted for Nessy to stay hidden. I didn't want it explained. I just wanted it to be a fantastic possibility.
It's possible you got your wish. She might be down there now. Maybe on the wi-fi reading this? I wonder how much we loved these things because we were young, and how much because the world was a different place, at a different moment and with different interests in the group mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny -- I had the exact same book when I was a kid, and it was one of the books I went back to over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI used to watch those TV shows too -- my favorite one was "In Search of..." hosted by Leonard Nimoy.
I do remember that image and loved the several hunts for her!
ReplyDeleteWhy are boogers floating down your page?
ReplyDeleteI had an almost identical book, with Nessy, the yeti and other unexplained mysteries, my favourite was The Mary Celeste.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be a fascinating study to find out how many of us gamers were affected the same way by the same things in our youth. This (and similar) images. The Patterson film. "In Search Of..." etc.
ReplyDeleteBecause, y'know, I'm one of you....
I member that same book quite fondly.
ReplyDeleteWhy do the falling boogers look like shamrocks?
ReplyDeleteWait, is that a three-leprechaun team swimming in the picture?
I went through a similar phase sometime early elementary. You know, I'm going to poll my kids today and see if they're still into Loch Ness monster and whatnot.