I don’t like monsters unless they are furry, cute and sing with the Muppets! I even have a furry monster costume. I call myself Elmo’s Aunt when I put it on for my monster story times. Even cute and furry, I still scared a few children. But cute and furry, doesn’t fit my idea of real monsters the ones that hide in nightmares and shadows.
I became a Ghost Tours storytelling guide years ago just to prove I could face supernatural monsters. I enjoyed telling my guests true stories of spirits and ghouls haunting the old buildings with mischief and sightings that would make the hair on their arms stand up.
In my life, monsters take their role mostly in the folktales of the cultures of the world. The Zimwea in Africa, the Yowie in Australia, Hinzelmann in Germany, the LochNess monster in Scotland, Big Foot in America. These creatures come alive in my imagination when I share their story. Some deserve the reputation they have, other seem to be misunderstood.
The power to face the monsters in our lives, literal and figurative, require trust. The monsters lie in the darkness of disconnection, the lack of communication, of story. Trust is learned through connection. Stories create connection. So we must keep telling stories and stave off the monsters that lurk.
