Warning ⚠️ Squatching May be Hazardous to Your Health

January 08, 2019

I have always enjoyed my time in the great outdoors, whether I am at a beach, the dog park or Squatching. You couldn’t coerce me back in the house. In the summer months I’m literally outdoors from dawn till dusk, but lately I’ve noticed that all these outdoor activities are starting to become hazardous to my health.

Chris Farley in Black Sheep

I’m used to the constant Chris Farley type trips I do daily, sometimes, most times, it’s usually in a public forum. The grocery store while the floor was wet, Maggie’s doggy day care in front of the owner and when I was teaching a million times tripping over the kids in front of everyone and on film too! I was used to it. I never bothered to jump up to see if anyone was looking, because I knew they were. Sure it’s funny now, or even then, but this last year I’m doing the same maneuvers but I’m actually starting to feel these falls. Things are starting to get real here.

After talking to some friends and colleagues who are also out in those woods daily, they are feeling it some days too. Now I’m sure that they aren’t tripping over nothing, sliding down a hill on wet leaves or rolling their ankles on rocks. But they are walking miles, climbing hills, etc. often in the dark to add to the potential danger for injuries. And yes I know some of us aren’t 20 anymore,

So I’m home now recovering from an injury and I was thinking, we are out there researching, filming and walking those miles without hazard pay. Most of us are not out there for monetary reasons, that's not why we do it . But if you are weekend Squatching, and roll down a hill and burst in flames like Mr. Bill, and you have to call out on Monday? You may not care, but your boss will. If you still have one after you call and say, “hey, I ah, can’t come in today. Sorry, but I was out looking for Bigfoot on Saturday and I fell off a cliff.” Here that? That is the dial tone and the end of your working life.

So what do we do? We are out there searching for the truth and we know it’s dangerous. How do we protect our families and ourselves in the event of an accident? From our driving need to be out there even though it’s dangerous? Carry extra health insurance? I have two policies, and I’m still hurt. Carry a disability policy? Maybe. I have a good size life insurance policy but that only helps the family if I’m gone, not if I’m alive and stuck on their couch getting death glares. Oh, I know! What about a sunshine fund? Every Bigfooter in the country donates, and we pass it out to the injured party. I’m sure that would work. No problems at all. 🙄 ugh. But in lieu of a Bigfooters union, what can we do?

I’m not sure what our preparedness checklist needs to look like in an event of an accident. But we should, no we need, to prepare for that eventuality just as much as we prepare our backpacks before we head into the woods.

Because if you go down (literally) in the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise...

And so are your family and friends...