This is the elephant in the room; I've spoken to a lot of female UFO and bigfoot writers, experiencers and researchers, and the things said -- and done -- to them at times is frustratingly astounding. We don't talk about it for a lot of reasons. Females in any male dominated field experience this, this is not news. It's so typical, it's boring to even comment on. Still, it does get to one at times. It's just a matter of fact aspect of being in this field. I've been sent ugly e-mails, and ugly things have been written about me openly on-line, by men. I've been called a lesbian (not that's there anything wrong with that) (but I'm not,) a Jew-bitch, a man-hater. I've been "accused" of "wanting to write like a man" and, that I "write like a man." (that's either a backhanded compliment or so surreal it's not worth trying to figure out.) I've been told I have a "castration problem" and my husband has been called names (he doesn't even go on line!) simply because he's married to me; the implication being he's a wimp. (Listen, the man's a double Scorpio, believe me, he's not afraid of nuttin', see?!) I've maintained for decades that the real last threat to some men from females exists on an intellectual level. (I experienced this in philosophy classes in college.) Men are no exception, we're all called names and insulted. Take a look around and you'll find insult fests going on between various male writers and researchers that make you wonder how we're supposed to take anyone seriously, if they behave so badly? Anyway, this somewhat beside the point; I don't intend to go off an a tangent here. It's a given, and you move on.
Shiel encourages women who are researching Bigfoot to contact her. Please do:
If you are a women involved in Bigfoot research, please e-mail me at lisa@upbigfoot.com. If you have a blog or website, we can exchange links. Women researches need to help and support each other as much as possible-start our own groups, exchange knowledge and wisdom, provide moral support.
I don't consider myself a true Bigfoot researcher, since I've never once gone out in the woods to look for Bigfoot. (And it's not because I'm afraid of the woods.) If anything, I'm an "armchair" scholar on Bigfoot, and that includes all the high strangeness stories concerning Bigfoot, the focus being on the anomalous aspects of encounters.
I don't know if I personally will ever go out to look for Bigfoot on an expedition, because I'm convinced it's pretty much pointless. Bigfoot will show itself if and when it wants to, not because you're out there. Following up on stories would be interesting, however, and clues could be found; but it's all in the approach. Banging around out there making lots of noise and thinking Bigfoot's going to appear on cue is ridiculous.
Right now there is a possible Bigfoot case in my area that I've been keeping track of. The case includes paranormal activity. If I get involved in this further, I will do physical research as well. This isn't in hopes of seeing a Bigfoot, but rather to gather any possible evidence of something anomalous.
So if you're a female researcher of the anomalous, including Bigfoot, know that there are women out there like Lisa Shiel, like myself, and others, who are supportive of your efforts.
Valley of the Skookum
I received my copy of In the Valley of the Skookum: Four Years of Encounters With Bigfoot, by Sali Sheppard-Wolford. (Sheppard-Wolford is Autumn Williams' mother.) I stayed up until 3:30 am reading it. I couldn't put it down. I didn't finish it, not for lack of trying, but I'm about a chapter away from the end. There's much to say about this book, including the orange lights seen by many of the witnesses and my own orange orb sighting. But that'll have to wait for another day.
Linda Martin
By way of Lisa Shiel's blog, I discovered another female Bigfoot researcher; Linda Martin. I'm not familiar with Martin, and followed the link from Lisa's blog to Martin's Bigfoot sightings, where I found she had picked up on my little WTF blurb on Technorati, on accepting anomalous Bigfoot data in Bigfoot research. Martin is open to the possibility of a shape shifting BF, but remains skeptical as well. Can't ask for more than that.
Notes
Lisa Shiel: http://bigfootquest.blogspot.com/2007/04/wild-women-of-woods.html
Linda Martin: http://www.bigfootsightings.org/
Regan Lee, WTF Technorati blurb:http://technorati.com/wtf/bigfoot/2007/03/30/bigfoot-a-shapeshifter-1
