I haven’t been writing on a daily basis. As much as I want to think that I am an endless font of information, I am sitting here without much to say. This is new for me. Usually there are no pregnant pauses where I am concerned. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of “Women Who Run With the Wolves”, said, “The peaks and the valleys just are.” In this case I think I have sunk into the valleys.
I was pondering some recent events in the world of Bigfoot research and had to ask myself the question, “What is a researcher?” Those who are connected to academia would tell you that only a degree would qualify you as a researcher. The higher up in academia you go, the more pronounced this becomes. It is a hierarchy that serves a purpose in the world of scientific research connected to universities and professional research groups in general. It is a way of singling out those whose degrees stipulate that this person is well qualified in his particular field. It is also a way of distinguishing rank among a certain like-minded members of this academic group. However in a broader sense, anyone can be a researcher.
While the members of academia use their hierarchy to establish who qualifies for grants and who gets to become involved in the best research projects in their respective university settings, as well as who obtains tenure and who does not, we out here in the trenches provide valuable data and insight because we don’t have the pressure that those in academia have–publish or parish. We are able to simply use our passion and dedication in the quest for truth. We don’t have University boards to answer to. We don’t have to scratch and grovel to obtain funding for our projects. We can simply jump in our vehicles and drive out into the countryside and do our thing. We can actually have fun while following our passion.
There is a lot of competition among Bigfoot enthusiasts and researchers. To be blunt, there can be a lot of money and power connected with this particular quest. If one were to actually find and capture a Bigfoot, imagine the notoriety, financial gain and power one could command because of it. So, where there is money and power, there is greed and jealousy. There are also a lot of people out there who self proclaim their expertise in this field. It can be difficult to sift through all the blarney to get at the truth. I, for one, am not an expert. I am just a person who has a passion who wants the best outcome despite all the blustering and bellowing that goes on.
Getting back to degrees–all degrees are not equal. There is a big difference between a degree in biology and one in finance. There is a big difference between a bachelor of arts degree and a masters in astronomy. There is a big difference between a degree in math and one in archeology. Degrees are like apples and oranges. Just because one has one does not give them any overt qualifications beyond their specialty. So, to say that one must have a degree to be a researcher is just wrong!
There have been many men and women who have rose to such levels as to have been presented with honorary degrees because of their personal works within society, not because they completed any specific credits towards a degree. Likewise there have been many everyday citizens who have contributed immensely to the world simply because they had a passion for something and never stopped learning. So, just because you don’t have a degree, don’t let others tell you that you are not good enough. Don’t let them tell you that you have nothing to contribute. Don’t let others tell you that you have no value. And never, never let others define you.
What is a researcher? Anyone who has the passion, curiosity, dedication and basic knowledge to follow their dreams and can think, observe, solve puzzles, express contradictions, find alternative paths, think outside the box, or simply acknowledge their gut instinct that something doesn’t seem right. If you have these qualifications and are willing to do what it takes to find the truth, you are a researcher. How you do it is ultimately up to you.
