The Mermaid’s Purpose

I don’t believe in mermaids. Try to say that without smiling. Of course it sounds crazy, but next week a cable channel will air a show that suggests the existence of mermaids. I can’t imagine what the show’s producers will present as scientific fact. Since most people would scoff at the idea of actual mermaids, maybe the show’s definition of mermaids will refer to young ladies (with legs) who love water. Skip the tail. If, after you see the show, you begin to think that mermaid might possibly exist, the producers have a hit show. 

Why do people believe in UFO’s, Bigfoot and mermaids? As usual, I have a theory. Hold on, we’re going to get deep. Basically, I think people want to belong and be connected to something beyond their ordinary existence. The idea that something otherworldly could exist helps people believe that there’s more to life than working, sleeping, shopping(?) and eating.  The thought of a real mermaid causes us to consider timeless questions. Be patient while people in this video answer the easy questions, then watch their responses to the interviewer’s third question: 

I hope the video didn’t bring you down. The life’s purpose question caught everyone off-guard and their responses made me sad.  Did you feel the emptiness? No wonder we’re drawn to stories about mermaids! Let’s skip the obvious question about your life’s purpose. Consider a different one: Why do we struggle to answer the what’s-your-purpose question?      

Believe It or Not

Psst, come closer!  If someone asked you to believe that a creature measuring 20 feet tall, as long a bus, with teeth 5 inches long, once prowled the earth, would you? This description of a T-Rex sounds like a figure from a nightmare.  Just between you and me, I wouldn’t believe in dinosaurs, except that inside our museums bones stacked upon bones prove that such creatures existed, and so, I have to give in to reason.

We watched several episodes of “Finding Bigfoot,” and now when we drive near a wooded area my kids say, “I think there’s a Squatch in these woods.” The show usually provides several types of evidence for the existence of Sasquatch or Bigfoot. For example, they show casts of footprints, recorded sounds of howling and tree-knocking, and those often-debated videos of a huge, hairy beings caught running through the woods. The show’s investigators constantly evaluate eye-witness stories to decide who’s playing a hoax and who actually has a credible encounter with something in the woods. Watch as this video transports you into the woods for a Bigfoot hunt.

Are they gathering actual proof—who knows? Once thing we do know: Bigfoot will remain a legend until scientists have a real specimen to study. Similarly, when we state our beliefs, someone somewhere will ask for our evidence.  So, tell us what you believe in and what’s your supporting evidence?