Bigfork Eagle editorial

It's good to believe

Fairies, Santa Claus, Bigfoot, the Flathead Lake monster. Skeptics are always quick to disprove the existence of the unexplained. But where is the fun in that? To believe in the mystical, the esoteric, is to sustain innocence.

Do you ever wonder why adults consume Harry Potter books just as hungrily as children? They transport the imagination. Having one's feet firmly planted in the day to-day grind can be taxing. Myths, stories, legends all have the capability to lift us out of reality. So, is the Flathead Lake monster fact or fiction?

Just like the Loch Ness monster, there are theories. It is possible that our own monster could be a sturgeon or some other large fish. There are instances of sturgeon reaching 20 feet in length, and thereby acquiring serpent-like attributes. As bottom-feeders, they surface only occasionally and can live for decades unnoticed.

Another, more imaginative theory is that the Flathead Lake monster is a dinosaur that has survived the eons and taken up residence in the lake. Sound impossible? At one time, this entire valley was underwater. Why couldn't it be possible that one of the valley's early inhabitants survived? Take possibility, sprinkle in a little imagination, and presto—a Flathead monster worth believing in.

Now why is this a good thing? Well, for one it is great for tourism. Number two, and more importantly, it is good for the soul. For those who have seen the Flathead Monster, it is an experience they will tell their children's children. For those who have heard about the monster and hope to one day see it for themselves, it is adventure. For those who believe in the legend, it is childlike fancy, the real fountain of youth.

So, do you believe?