Turn Right at the Sasquatch

Photo: Mike Goad

“I just turn right at the Sasquatch.”

That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say or write. But you need a little context. 

Becky has been cutting my hair for decades — since the days when I wore it long in the back and short in the front (no, it was not a mullet — don’t even go there!) in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. 

Since I moved last October, her shop is across town from me, but I never thought about going anywhere else. She does a great job and I count her as a friend. 

I shared a laugh with her a while back about how I sometimes lose track of where to make the turn to get to her shop since I’m coming from the opposite direction now. One day, I found a marker that made it easy — a seven-foot Sasquatch on the side of the road that somebody fashioned out of metal and anchored to a tire. 

“I just turn right at the Sasquatch,” I told Becky. 

It sits in front of an antique shop and has been for sale as long as I can remember. I guess nobody wants to buy it and stick it in his or her yard. I have to admit, though, I’m pretty tempted. 

The last time I got my hair cut, I looked for Sasquatch so I wouldn’t miss my turn. I was surprised to see that he has a wife and child now. Maybe somebody will give them a good home one day.

I have a friend whose mother and stepfather live off the beaten path, so the roads aren’t well marked. In my phone, I have the directions typed out. One line says: “Go 1.1 miles until you see 5 mailboxes on the right, then turn left.” 

I’m thinking he needs to buy this family of Sasquatches and place them behind the mailboxes. They’d serve as a better marker. Plus, they’d get a good laugh.

But on second thought, I’d never find Becky’s shop again, so maybe I’ll refrain from suggesting it to him.

Why am I sharing such silliness? 

Partially because we all need to laugh once in a while. And partially because I believe humans bond over silliness sometimes. 

How many times have you bonded with a stranger when you learned he or she loves your favorite sitcom? Your immediate reaction was to start quoting humorous scenes to one another.  

How many silly sayings (maybe rooted in truth) did your grandparents pass along to you that you still use today, even though they might be gone? 

And who doesn’t love a good (or corny — they aren't mutually exclusive, at least in my opinion) joke?

I’m a pretty serious person, but I have a goofy side, too. I thought I’d give you a glimpse of it. 

I’ll be more serious next week. I promise.