Bats, as creatures of the night, have long been steeped in myth and folklore across cultures, often symbolizing transformation, intuition, and the liminal space between worlds. Their unique ability to navigate in darkness and their association with caves—often seen as gateways to the underworld—have made them powerful symbols in both ancient and modern storytelling.

Of late, I've been posting a lot concerning my personal journey, so thought it was time to switch things up a bit and move on to something more fun. Why did I pick bats? Well, Bat Appreciation Day is April 17th and I've been researching bats for a book I hope to start writing soon—the second book in the Homeless Myths Series, Quest for the Eternal Flame. Let's get into bats!!!

Myths, Folklore, and Symbolism About Bats

Bats hold a fascinating array of meanings across cultures, often reflecting the duality of their nature as creatures of the night. Here's how bats are perceived around the world:

Negative Symbolism

• Europe: In Western traditions, bats are often linked to fear and the supernatural. They are associated with witches, vampires, and the underworld, largely due to their nocturnal habits and their depiction in Gothic literature like Dracula.
• Mesoamerican Mythology: The Mayans revered Camazotz, a bat god associated with the underworld, death, and sacrifice. While powerful, this deity also carried a sense of foreboding and danger.
• Christian Symbolism: Bats have been depicted as unclean or connected to malevolent spirits.

Positive Symbolism

• China: In Chinese culture, bats are symbols of good fortune and happiness. The word for “bat” (蝠, fú) is a homophone for “blessing” (福, fú), making bats a popular motif in art and design. Five bats together often represent the “Five Blessings”—longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death.
• Native American Traditions: Many Native American tribes view bats as symbols of intuition, rebirth, and transformation. Their ability to navigate in darkness is seen as a metaphor for personal growth and the journey through life's challenges.
• India: In some regions, bats are associated with wealth and prosperity. They also appear in Tamil Sangam poetry as allegories for love and familial bonds.

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Bat Symbolism in the United States

In the United States, bat mythology and symbolism often draw from a blend of Native American traditions and European influences, creating a unique cultural perspective. Here's how bats are viewed in the U.S. and how they differ or align with European traditions:

Native American Influence

In Native American cultures, bats are often seen as symbols of intuition, rebirth, and transformation. Tribes like the Cherokee and Apache associate bats with adaptability and the ability to navigate through life's challenges. Their nocturnal nature and reliance on echolocation are interpreted as metaphors for seeing beyond the surface and trusting inner guidance. This perspective is distinct from the more fear-based associations found in European folklore. For example:

• Cherokee Mythology: Bats are seen as mediators between the physical and spiritual worlds, embodying the ability to traverse both realms.
• Apache Stories: Bats are viewed as clever and resourceful creatures, often playing roles in tales that emphasize their intelligence and versatility.

European Influence

European settlers brought with them the darker associations of bats, linking them to witches, vampires, and the supernatural. These ideas were reinforced by Gothic literature and later by Hollywood's portrayal of bats in horror films. In this context, bats symbolize fear, mystery, and the unknown.

Modern U.S. Symbolism

In contemporary American culture, bats have taken on a dual role:

• Ecological Importance: With growing awareness of their role as pollinators and pest controllers, bats are increasingly seen as vital to the ecosystem. This positive view contrasts with their historical portrayal as harbingers of doom.
• Pop Culture Icons: Characters like Batman have redefined bats as symbols of resilience, justice, and the ability to thrive in darkness. This modern interpretation blends the fearsome and the heroic, creating a uniquely American take on bat symbolism.

Distinctive U.S. Perspective

What sets the U.S. apart is this fusion of Native American reverence for bats as spiritual guides and European associations with fear and mystery. This blend creates a rich tapestry of meanings, where bats can symbolize everything from transformation and intuition to resilience and ecological balance.

Bats’ symbolism and mythology across cultures paint a picture of a creature that transcends its physical form, embodying transformation, intuition, and the interplay of light and darkness. From their roles as spiritual guides in Native American traditions to their associations with fear and mystery in European folklore, bats serve as powerful symbols of duality and resilience. In the United States, the blending of these cultural perspectives has enriched bats’ significance, framing them as both ecologically vital and spiritually profound. Whether seen as harbingers of the unknown or messengers of blessings, bats continue to inspire a sense of wonder, reflecting the beauty and complexity of the world—and ourselves—when we dare to explore beyond the surface.

Duality and Transformation of Bats and Their Legacy

Bats’ ability to thrive in darkness and their association with caves—often seen as gateways to other realms—make them symbols of transformation and liminality. They are creatures that exist between worlds, embodying the balance of light and dark, life and death.

Their symbolism and mythology across cultures paint a picture of a creature that transcends its physical form, embodying transformation, intuition, and the interplay of light and darkness. From their roles as spiritual guides in Native American traditions to their associations with fear and mystery in European folklore, bats serve as powerful symbols of duality and resilience. In the United States, the blending of these cultural perspectives has enriched bats’ significance, framing them as both ecologically vital and spiritually profound. Whether seen as harbingers of the unknown or messengers of blessings, bats continue to inspire a sense of wonder, reflecting the beauty and complexity of the world—and ourselves—when we dare to explore beyond the surface.

The post Unveiling the Mystery of Bats and their Myths appeared first on Be the Cat.

Happy Bat Appreciation Day!!!

Until today, I didn't even know bat appreciation day was a thing. Who knew??? I gained a better knowledge and appreciation of bats when working on 7th Grade Revolution … after all there had to be bats in the tunnel.

Bats over the years have gained an undeserved unsavory reputation. The first thing most people think of are blood-sucking vampire bats, but there are over 1,400 species of bats and only 3 of those are vampire bats—who tend to bother livestock more than people. What else are people afraid of with bats?

• All bats have rabies and if they bite you, you'll get rabies, too. WRONG
  Approximately 5-6% of the bats captured for testing have rabies, so while possible, a far cry from ALL.
  
• Bats are bad luck. WRONG
  Bats actually do several things that are helpful. Such as eating disease-spreading insect like mosquitoes, roaches, etc. Forget the citronella candles … put a bat on the patio and it can consume up to one thousand mosquitoes an hour. Plus they do such amazing work like spreading seeds for future bananas, avocados, and about 300 other plants.
  
• Bats will try to nest in your hair. WRONG
  Though as a child I thought this might be a possibility, and it has happened to some people, it is more a matter of accident than design. Bats don't nest. They roost upside down because they have difficulty in taking off from the ground. But by hanging upside down, the can drop and use the momentum from the fall to start their flight. It might give the appearance they are swooping toward you, but the reality is they are simply taking flight.
  

I have another reason for celebrating Bat Appreciation Day. Meet Melvin.

Isn't he adorable??? When I shared that it was Bat Appreciation Day with a friend who loves bats, the name Melvin hit me, so I created an image of an albino bat named Melvin. He will be in the Homeless Myths series, my current work in progress, and I already know where he lives, how he's going to interact with the kids, and he's just too cute not to share. I'm certain Melvin is going to have mega personality to match his endearing appearance, so keep your eyes peeled for more about Melvin as the series continues.

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Welcome to 2024!!! Life is like a dance, we take a few steps forward and a few back, and sometime run in circles. I'm more than ready to put on my dancing shoes. It's time to say farewell to 2023 and look forward to 2024. Normally, I don't spend a lot of time looking back and focus more on the future, but since 2023 was a big year I wanted to spend a little time on what was accomplished.

Contents

• The Look Back
• The Way Forward
• Picture Gallery

The Look Back

At the beginning of 2022 I had confirmed my decision to retire from the day job. Something that was essential to do for my overall well-being and I wanted to spend more time working on my passion projects. My timeline changed a few times and I carried over that goal into 2023. I had 3 major goals for 2023:

1. Retire from the day job.
2. Move (I wasn't even sure where exactly at that point)
3. Launch my debut MG series (Katie McCabe) with Vesuvian Books

Retirement:
Retirement is not for the faint of heart. Some people have a big adjustment curve they go through when they stop working. I had planned on an adjustment period because I knew there would be a lot of things administratively that would have to be handled before I could put into action the next step. The first week of January marked my retirement, but it took several months to get everything taken care, despite having planned in advance. I miss the people I worked with, but, even though I enjoyed my job, I haven't missed it one whit.

The Move:
Mentally, moving was my biggest challenge for the year. Just trying to wrap my head around everything that needed to get done and the how took several months. Overwhelm mode activated.. I had been searching for the right place on and off over the past few years and had even put an offer in on a house. But when friends checked it out, what looked good on paper turned to dust and the offer was rescinded. Since the housing market was in such bad shape with unrealistic pricing and rates that were too high, I made the decision to rent for the time being and I couldn't be happier.

I settled on the where, but then had to figure out how to get me and my stuff there trying to keep isolated as much as possible for health reasons. Then a brain wave hit … do a cross country train trip. It took a little longer to arrive, but I am still happy I made that decision. It is something I've always wanted to try. (A picture gallery is below.) I am now in a cozy apartment with my best friends close by and they have been SUCH A HUGE HELP, I can never thank them enough.

The Series Launch:
In the midst of going through everything, getting things packed, and making all the arrangements for the move, I released the first book in the Katie McCabe Series, Rain Falling on Embers. It has already picked up a few awards and positive reviews. I spent the beginning of the year with my editor polishing up the second book in the series, South of Happy and I'm looking forward to getting it out there later this year. All of 2023 was geared toward goals to support my writing habit.

The Way Forward

I do love a fresh, shiny new year. 365 days ahead to make things happen. Sometimes I achieve what I set out to do. Sometimes life throws a curve that makes me bob and weave, or completely derails the year to another destination. But I start each year with hope and plans and am excited to find out where I'll wind up.

The Plans:

• Write, write, and write some more.
• Go through self-edits on Going Up in Flames (Katie McCabe, Book 3)
• Work through the edits my editor will give me for the same (as hard as I try to send it to him as perfect as possible, he ALWAYS has a ton of things for me to think about and adjust.)
• Finish writing Book 1 in the Homeless Myths Series, The Secret of the Redy Key. I cannot wait to share this series with everyone. It has a lot of special sauce going on and I think the rest of the world will agree.
• Get healthier. I am currently in remission (YAY!!!), but my immune system is still shot, so want to work on several avenues to help boost the immune system and give myself more resources to go into battle with. I'd love for this remission to last several years. To that end, I am focused on:
  • Being more active. I have been pretty much housebound for a number of years, especially during the pandemic. So my plan is to get out more, take walks on some of the fantastic trails around me, and work up to using my vibration plate a total of 30 minutes a day (which usually results in my dancing on it if listening to music).
  • Improving nutrition
  • Searching out new treatments for dealing with cancer. I'm excited about the breakthroughs that are popping up with more frequency and have hope that one day, there will be a cure for mine.
• Find my next home, rates and real estate market willing, as the current apartment is meant to be temporary.

The Picture Gallery

I figured since I had so many pictures I wanted to share, that it would be best simply to create a gallery and provide a little commentary to provide a flavor for the move.

• 1. The day the stuff I was moving left. All my planning and preparation resulted in what was going and what wasn't. Everything that was making the move with me had been staged into two rooms, the first thing to be loaded were those items that were going straight into storage short-term, and the second room contained those things I needed in the apartment. The next day, everything that didn't go into the pods was cleared out and donated.
• 2-4. Fullerton Amtrak station on the day of my departure. Of course, when the freight train passed by with OOCL containers on it, I had to include them.
• 5. Arizona Mesa
• 6. Albuquerque, NM train station - one with a little style
• 7. Lamy, NM station - I couldn't resist the decorations.
• 8. Near Fort Osage Township, MO
• 9. Crossing the Mississippi river from Iowa into Illinois - we had a well-wisher waving as we hurtled by.
• 10. Amtrack, Chicago - where I felt like I might have dropped into a holiday gone wrong type of movie, but all was well in the end.
• 11. Entering West Virginia and nearly to my destination.
• 12. White Sulphur Springs Station - Cutest station on my route and where I got off.
• 13. My friends met me at the station and we loaded up the Grand Cherokee—AFTER they found me, because everyone else got off the train at the front, but they had me depart the train at the back. (I had stored luggage that had to be taken off the train.) We had quite the load.
• 14. But not ALL of the stuff was mine. While waiting to pick me up, they wandered into one of the boutique stores in town and just had to get the Christmas tree with bears climbing on it. I would have done the same.
• 15. The first thing I saw when I walked into my new apartment. My friends had been busy readying the apartment while I was traveling across the country.
• 16. My festive shower curtain. There is a light over the shower/tub so the fireplace glows when the light is on.
• 17-18. My view through my windows. My place in CA looked out on a parking lot and all I could see from my bedroom window was the apartments behind me. I am reveling in having trees and grass outside and enjoy watching the hills.
• 19. Still from my windows, but at night so you can see the lights from the space needle and the skybridge.
• 20. After my initial visit with my new doctor, we went for a ride, and had just been discussion how unlikely it would be to see any bears this time of year, when a bear family came through the woods, crossed in front of our car, and continued up the hill. I'm sure they came out just to welcome me.
• 21. It's not a holiday unless I decorate, so my fridge quickly took on some holiday cheer.
• 22. My stuff arrived from CA and the place is starting to take on a homey feel.
• 23. Essentials for any writer.
• 24. My living room rug with an Amish made cherry wood cedar chest.
• 25. My Christmas Day rainbow.
• 26. The space needle decorated as a Christmas tree (and I caught the flashing star on top)
• 27. Just because I love the shadows on my wall at night.
• 28-33. The fireworks display at the space needle. I have the perfect apartment for viewing.

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I’ve never been big on making resolutions and probably worse at rehashing what has been … but I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on where we go from here.

To put it mildly, 2021 threw a few curve balls and caught me off balance. The biggest were to do with my health and having the chemo from end of 2020 / beginning of 2021 spectacularly fail. Fast forward to the end of 2021 and the new chemo plus radiation I had to undergo dragged me down so much I wound up in the hospital for a week with bilateral pneumonia caused by the chemo. I am incredibly sensitive to the chemo drugs and the treatments have been robbing me slowly of the ability to breathe due to inflammation in the lungs over the past few months. I still have two more treatments to go through, although at this point, we’re not sure whether I will be able to do them. We will give it a month and then try again. The health issues and fatigue played havoc with my writing schedule, so I’m well behind on what needs to get done.

But 2021 is now in the past. What did or did not get accomplished is also in the past, and it is time to look forward. And there is so much to look forward to. More than ever, I am certain of my purpose in life … and that is to write books for kids to connect with and enjoy. And, honestly, that is the only thing that is important to me. So while not completely ignoring all other aspects of life, the thing that I will put first is my writing. It is time for me to finish up some of the projects I’ve had on a slow boil and get them finished. No more back burner.

First up is finishing the self edits on Rain Falling on Embers (release date: October 3, 2023), which is book 1 in the Katie McCabe series. Next will be to get it to the editor who will rip it apart and help me make it what it is supposed to be. Rain Falling on Embers explores the question: How do you survive the worst thing that can ever happen? Especially in the past couple of years, kids are facing more upheaval than ever before — where things like school, which has been more of a constant than anything, has also changed dramatically. While circumstances will vary from person to person, Katie McCabe goes through coming to terms with her entire life being turned upside down. She struggles with accepting the changes and it is important for kids to know they don’t have to be perfect through all changes. That it is okay to thrash about trying to make sense of things that simply do not make sense.

The next project that will have my attention is book 1 in the Homeless Myths series, The Secret of the Red Key. I am so excited about this particular series because the storyline speaks to me so clearly. Five homeless kids struggle to survive the streets of Los Angeles and wind up as key players in a battle against mythological creatures to break a curse that will restore a fallen star and give humanity a second chance. It should be an adventure story for the ages.

At the end of 2020, during my reflective period, I came to a decision about my future … and that decision was that in order for me to pursue more completely what I need to do with my life, the day job had to go. It’s a decision years in the making, but the time has come and despite all of the upheaval of 2021, I have kept that goal firmly in mind. While I have not accomplished everything I have wanted toward this goal, it remains in place and I will see it through. The driving force? A few lyrics from Flashdance – What a Feeling spell it out for me. Take your passion and make it happen. In order to do that effectively, I need to simplify life a bit, which means letting go of something I have always looked at as stability and taking a leap of faith.

The picture at the top of this post has a great deal of meaning for me. 2022 is still all glittery and shiny and though we cannot see into the future (or down the path) the bright yellow haze beckons. One of my favorite flowers is the yellow rose, so I love that they are lining the path to the future. The color yellow is primarily associated with spreading happiness and joy, and it symbolizes moving forward with the joy of working on my purpose in life. And I hope to spread happiness and joy to those I meet. And purple has always been my favorite color and purple flowers are said to symbolize success. In this case, the flowers being campanula or bellflowers, the additional meaning of gratitude, constancy, support, and romance are present. Success for me isn’t defined in monetary terms, but whether or not I have achieved what I set out to do. Would I love to have a runaway bestseller? Absolutely. But if the book falls short of my personal mark, the number of sales don’t make it better. Success for me is crafting the book in my head as close as I possibly can. Success is reaching the small goals along the way to the big ones. And joy comes from achieving those things.

So 2022, here you are in all of your shining newness. I have identified my passion and all that is left is to make it happen. Let’s do this thing.

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Then in 1871, the most famous sighting occurred … several ladies and gentlemen staying in Kilkee were out walking around the Diamond Rocks, when a monster rose from the surface of the water. What struck me about this account is most sightings are either by an individual or a couple of people, where this sighting occurred in front of a larger group. The news of the sighting traveled from Ireland to London’s illustrated paper the Day’s Doings and posted this description along with the image shown here.

“It had an enormous head, shaped somewhat like a horse, while behind the head and on the neck was a huge mane of seaweed-looking water; the eyes were large and glaring, and, by the appearance of the water behind, a vast body seemed to be beneath the waves.”

Ahhh, now that sounds more like a description of a water kelpie, but as kelpies are reputed to be shape shifters, they can take any form, including human. So the question arises, for those debunkers out there: Was this a mass hysteria sighting or another instance of a really big fish? Or is it possible that there are creatures of the deep that we have no idea about?

Anyway, I happened to run across this little nugget of information. In 1881, in County Clare, John Philip Holland was the first person to successfully launch a submarine. It makes me wonder whether John Philip Holland had a secret desire to be a monster hunter. After the sighting in 1871, did he throw himself into the job of creating a vessel that would allow him to chase the Irish Nessie underwater? His first submarine designs weren’t submitted until 1875 … it is fun to speculate.

Speculation, wonder, dreaming, and nightmares are all fuel to the writer’s fire.

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I’m a believer in change through intention and taking things one day at a time. I set goals … I don’t make resolutions because those can be broken, whereas a goal is something you continue to strive toward until you achieve it. But even with that, I couldn’t settle on ONE idea to strive toward in the new year. Until this year. And it’s a phrase I’ll focus on to get me through 2019.

Don’t Mess with the Ness

I received this cup for Christmas from my friend, mentor, and agent, Italia Gandolfo. And it is a perfect phrase for me to focus on in 2019. Maybe for life … although Be the Cat! is my lifetime mantra. Why is the phrase so perfect? Well, I happen to be working on a Middle Grade novel where one of the characters is fashioned after Nessie. But for me it goes beyond the character to the whole mythos of the Loch Ness Monster.

The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most debunked myths around, and yet the myth persists. So as someone who deals in worlds that exist only in my head, yet are so real to me, the persistence of the myth is comforting. Nessie stands the test of time — which is my goal for everything I write. And you don’t mess with Nessie … debunk him over here, and he’ll pop up over there thumbing his nose (snout?) at you. Although, I doubt he has any thumbs either … but you get the idea. No matter how many times it has been “proven” he doesn’t exist, he has continued to make appearance after appearance throughout history.

I had read an article based on busting the sentiment you can’t prove a negative and the article author used Nessie as part of their example of destroying the logic — which in my opinion he failed to do. It was an opinon piece and facts were absent. At any rate, his theory was that all we’d have to do to prove there is no Loch Ness Monster was to drain the Loch Ness. He does have a point.

IF the Loch Ness were drained AND no monster was found, we might conclude the monster doesn’t exist … but I’m not sure that would rate as iron-clad proof either. Because with as many years as there have been sightings of Nessie, there also have been periods of time where there were no sightings. Wouldn’t it be a logical presumption that the monster might reside in the Loch Ness for some of the time, but not all the time?

Now, I’m not arguing for the existence or not of a specific Loch Ness monster, but more that the idea is still possible that one might exist. Where there is the remotest possibility, then there is hope … and hope and faith together is a potent combination. The type of thing that can move mountains. But how does this tie to the year ahead?

2018 had some very good moments, but 2019 is going to be even better. During 2018, I made strides health-wise to be stronger and while I’m still a long way from where I want to be, I’m moving forward. Same with my writing. Little baby steps at a time is what is going to get me to where I want to be, and I have hope, no matter what the actual probability is, that I will achieve my goals, and I am moving forward in faith that I am on the right path and doing my life’s work. So don’t tell me probabilities or statistics — don’t try to sway me with facts.

Unless you’ve drained not only the Loch Ness and the rest of the Lochs and other bodies of water around the world, there is still a possibility, however improbable, Nessie exists. And if the possibility exists, then there is hope, and I will believe I will get stronger, healthier, and the path I’m on will take me to the destination I desire.

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On top of being the holiday season, I have the pleasure of finally working on my next book — a process that allows me to go delve into other worlds and spend time with my characters as they live through their stories. As I often say, I am the journalist simply writing the story my characters share. And the process gives me an immense amount of satisfaction. I recently watched The Man Who Invented Christmas and I absolutely loved how they handled Dickens’ writing process and the way his characters appeared and how he had conversations with them. Because it mirrors so much my own process. Now Dickens’ characters revealed facets of him more than mine do, but as with his, there is no controlling mine … and I no longer try. My characters appear and tell me what their story is. So in a way, the writing process for me is a miracle all on its own.

Which brings me to one of my characters in the Homeless Myths series I am currently working on. Quentin is a ten-year-old from the Solomon Islands and he has the sweetest spirit, even though he does lose it during the course of The Star Warriors and the Scret of the Red Key for a little while. Anyway, part of my process is to listen to whatever songs help my characters tell their story. And Quentin’s choice has been Christmas music (he told me this in July). I wish there was a way to pluck from my mind what happens when the Pentatonix version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” comes up in the playlist. The first notes hit and Quentin starts dancing … and to me he is joy personified. He dances beside a campfire without thought for what anyone will think, and simply moves to the music in celebration of the moment. I’d love to be able to share his moment with you. Every time it reminds me to be see the joy in the daily moments in life.

I love watching him dance to the song, and what may seem odd, I don’t think it is a part of the story (but if there is even the remotest possibility, I’ll sneak it in). But even if not a moment from the story, I feel blessed to have such a happy feeling triggered by a song.

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I immediately stopped focusing on how poor I felt, and instead focused on how much better I feel compared to 4 years ago. Four years ago I was still facing the fact that while I had a relatively benign form of leukemia and lymphoma, my particular case had just the month before been diagnosed as exceptionally aggressive due to some abnormalities and life no longer lay in front of me like a big ol’ highway. All of a sudden I was on a twisting, turning road where I could only see as far as the next bend.

I am a “Spoonie” now. Even though my cancer is realtively under control with a new treatment protocol, I have been isolated for the past year and a half because the leukemia has attacked my immune system and I now struggle to fight off illness. So last night when the universe stripped away all my remaining spoons, I got a little down. It’s the holiday season, and I do love the holidays. Reading the post from 4 years ago, however, changed my perspective immediately. While yesterday and today it has hurt to move, it is nowhere near as painful as moving was then. Four years ago, I would not have been able to concentrate enough to string a sentence on the page, let alone write a chapter. I felt as if my creativity had been stripped away. Today, I am working on my next Middle Grade project and my excitement is growing. I have recently launched 7th Grade Revolution which has been very positive so far. And my creativity is staying with me. I have a top Middle Grade editor, a former Editorial Director of 20 years for one of the Big Five, excited to work with me on this project, and an agent who is kicking my tail to get enough of the book written we can appropriately forecast when it will be ready for editing. And I am going to do it. The details are flooding in, so I may be in a position where it is difficult to keep up, versus having to pull every scene through like a recalcitrant tooth.

Why am I talking about this on my author blog instead of my cancer blog? Because 4 years later, my dreams are as big as ever, and I’m closer to achieving them now than I ever have been in the past. I realized that The Secret of the Red Key is a huge stepping stone along the path to success.

But the biggest reason is that I want to make sure all kids know never to give up on their dreams. No matter the obstacle, as long as you have a passion for something, follow your passion. Yes, I am still living life beyond normal, where daily naps are essential, and sometimes the bad days frankly suck. But those bad days are temporary, and they aren’t as frequent, and I’m stronger than I was before, and I have already achieved so much, how can I stop now when the dream is firmly in reach?

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When I read, I fully invest in the story. I enter the world of the characters and live the story with them. I did the same as a child whether reading it or listening to my mother read bedtime stories. I remember reaching the moment in Peter Pan when Tinkerbell has drunk the poison meant for Peter and was dying. I cried, not so much because I liked Tinkerbell because I didn’t, but because she was Peter’s friend and he would miss her, and even though she was mean to Wendy, I didn’t want her to die. So when Peter asked everyone who believed in fairies to clap their hands, I clapped as loud and hard as I could, because I knew if Tinkerbell heard she would be saved.

Fast forward a year or two. I would listen to Peter Pan on an album we had and would always clap at the important moment. Not quite so loud and hard as I did in the beginning, but I clapped because I believed. But then things subtly changed. I’d listen to the record or read the story and would think, “But not everyone is reading or listening to the story at the same time as me, so how do I know whether Tinkerbell is dying?” Would my lone claps save her? I clapped. Not because I believed it would save her, but because I didn’t know it wouldn’t. Notice, it wasn’t my belief in fairies that had waned, but my belief that clapping could save a fairy in a far distant land.

Before, I had believed without question. Now, logic played a part and altered my beliefs based on concepts I better understood, like not everyone reading the same story at the same time. And slowly, I stopped clapping … and felt sad because it was no longer in my power to help Tinkerbell live or die. I first believed I had the ability to sway Tinkerbell’s fate because Peter, the hero of the story, had told me so. Later I believed because I had proven it to be true … I had clapped and she lived. Later still, my belief slipped because I had greater knowledge and that knowledge cast doubts on the beliefs I had previously held.

I find the same to be true with all beliefs. We might first believe something because we hear it from an authority figure. Someone we like/revere/trust. As we grow/mature in our knowledge surrounding the belief, there might be some subtle shifts in what we believe and how strongly we believe it. Sometimes we reach a point where we discard a belief previously held. And sometimes the hole, where we once held the belief, is filled with sorrow or even anger.

Back to the kids in the Homeless Myths series. They believe many things adults would say were wrong. But they hold on to their beliefs because they need them. The beliefs help explain the world they live in. A world so chaotic it otherwise does not make sense. And who is to say they are wrong? Because we cannot prove them right doesn’t mean they are wrong.

Yes, I have given up the belief that clapping because I believe in fairies can save one from dying, but who is to say I don’t believe it fairies?

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On the face of it, Cryptozoologists* and wildlife conservation scientists** don't have much in common. Cryptozoology is widely considered a pseudoscience because its enthusiasts don't follow conventional scientific methods while searching for monsters and mythological creatures, like Nessie and Bigfoot, which are also known as cryptids. Most conservation scientists don't want to be associated with monsters and monster-hunting, but are they really all that far apart? The aim of the conservationist is to preserve and protect the species we know about, but is that enough? There are over 400 new mammals which have been identified since 1993. How many other species have we yet to identify and describe?

Monster Loch Ness Scotland, Nessie MaxPixel

For years, there have been sightings of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, and while some of those sightings, including the most famous of them, have been proven as hoaxes, there are enough sightings to at least consider there may be an "unknown" species hanging out in Loch Ness. And scientists have considered whether the monster could be a descendant of the plesiosaur, a discarded theory, but enough to open the door for consideration of a species like it. I'm rather partial to the myth of Nessie because a monster of that ilk becomes part of the mythological fabric in my upcoming Homeless Myths series.

One creature we didn't know about as a separate species until 2001 is the pygmy three-toed sloth. Sergio, a character in the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin series, is the endangered animal who befriends Luna and helps her deal with her problems. I was fascinated when researching sloths to learn the reason the pygmy sloths are smaller than other types of sloths is because they had to adapt to their environment. The pygmy three-toed sloth is only found in a 4 square kilometer (~2.5 square miles) mangrove forest off of Panama on the Isla Escudo de Veraguas. Deforestation has put the pygmy three-toed sloth on the critically endangered species list and measures are now being taken to build up rather than destroy their habitat.

Without people like the monster-hunting Cryptozoologists who are always searching for hidden animals, would we even know of the existence of the pygmy three-toed sloth? Would it have perished before we were aware it lived at all? Something to think about.

* Cryptozoology is the study of hidden animals with the aim to prove the existence of entities from folklore.
** Conservation is the practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats. The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to enjoy and also to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness for humans and other species alike. Wikipedia

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During my school years, up until high school, I belonged to the Girl Scouts. I have many memories of being a scout, particularly the camping trips. We were known as the camping troop in our area, and had several outings a year. So when I think of my time in the Girl Scouts I remember setting up tents, roasting marshmallows over the campfire for S'mores while singing camp songs, cabins in the mountains, telling spooky stories while huddled in a sleeping bag, laughing until my sides hurt over the silliest things. Good memories.

So an article about a Girl Scout troop who were homeless caught my attention. What a wonderful opportunity for those girls. Giselle Burgess started Troop 6000 — the first ever troop of homeless girls — in February, and the girls, who had never been out of the city, got to experience the wonders of the wilderness.

So how many kids are homeless in America? That's hard to say. Per a study conducted by the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children, the estimate is 1.7 million. But there is a caveat to the number — the study was conducted in 1999, which is reaching the point of irrelevancy due to the number of years since the study was conducted. The most recent data collected by the U.S. Department of Education indicates numbers less than the 1.7 million, putting it closer to the 1 million range; however, the data collected is only if the kids are attending classes and participating fully in school activities. It does not count children who are staying with a friend or relative outside their immediate family and does not count those who are not in school. In 2014, the National Center on Family Homelessness released a report estimating the number of homeless children in America to be a heartbreaking 2.5 million. The report identifies six major causes contributing to the unprecedented rate of child homelessness: high poverty rates, lack of affordable housing, racial disparities, challenges of single parenting, domestic violence and other traumatic experiences, and the lingering effects of the recession.

What makes this Girl Scout troop even more incredible is that all of the girls in the troop live in the same 10-story budget hotel in Queens, where New York City's Department of Homeless Services pays to shelter homeless families. Including Giselle Burgess and her five children. Burgess lost her home last year when the landlord sold the building and has had difficulty finding a new place to live because potential landlords are not willing to take on a single mother with five children.

Burgess, who was working for the Girl Scouts of Greater New York as a community development specialist, looked at her situation and saw an opportunity. And the Girl Scouts fully supported Burgess's endeavor. Troop 6000 has been such a success, the New York City government announced it will invest $1.1 million to expand Troop 6000 from twenty-eight girls at one shelter to as many as 500 girls at 15 shelters across the city.

I salute Giselle Burgess for taking a stand to improve the lives of these girls and for helping to eliminate some of the stigma for them about being homeless — something completely out of their control. For giving the girls a sense of worth and accomplishment in a difficult situation. And for teaching the girls that the difficult times "are just seasons in their lives. And that they will surpass it, and that there's much more out there that they're capable of accomplishing."

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