Cracks
"Hi, guys," I said, finding Bill and Zach in the gallery. "Just wanted to let you know, if you find a couple of eggs in the Sloan Room, nobody forgot their lunch----They're my demonstration for the lesson tonight."
"Okay, Lou," said Bill. "How many chairs will you need?"
"About a dozen."
"Wait a minute," said Zach. "Eggs? I gotta know....What are you doing with eggs that teaches about the paranormal?"
I grinned. "Forensic anthropology. Bone fractures."
An hour before the meeting, I walked up to the Sloan Room. I sat down and picked up one of my hard-boiled eggs. Taking my pocketknife, I gave it two sharp raps---Pop, pop---And then looked it over.
It had two impact points, about an inch apart. Cracks spiderwebbed from them, crossing along the shell.
I nodded.
Perfect.
Katlyn, Mikey, Skylar, Abby, Ashlin, Riley, and Jayden all made the meeting. We sat around the table, and I gave out the handouts.
"I have some index cards on the table," I said. "We've been together another year now. Next month, we start with new members. No pressure, but I wanted to give you the option----If you have anything you'd like to say, anything you'd like to suggest, you can write it down. It's okay to criticize---You can do this anonymously."
A couple of the kids grabbed cards.
"Tonight we're learning about hoaxes," I said. "There is a certain type of flake that has nothing better to do than fake a paranormal sighting. Sometimes for the money, sometimes for attention. But there are all sorts of guys who will fake sightings and photos of Bigfoot, lake monsters, and ghosts. I think I've told you about the fake mammoth prints I found a while ago."
"Yeah, Katelynn loves that one," said Katlyn.
"It's important to see through these things. They do a lot of damage to everyone's credibility. Always stay scientific and investigate thoroughly. Look for hidden wires, strings, anything the hoaxer could have used. I've dealt with a few of these people....They can be tricky."
"You told us about the people in Renovo," said Ashlin.
"Oh, god. Them. Yes. And remember---The other side of this is that it damages the reliability of real sightings. I've had people say to me,'But they found Bigfoot prints that were a fake. That means there's no Bigfoot.' And I say,'So if I find some fake human prints, that means there's no human beings?'"
The kids all grinned.
"Sometime, someone may show you a fake bone or skull," I said. "I've had this happen. Okay, I'm kind of reaching....I just really, really wanted to teach you guys this." I picked up the eggs.
"I wondered what the eggs were doing there," said Katlyn.
"The eggs are our lesson tonight. Bone impacts, like the police investigate." I handed her the egg I'd cracked. "Pass this around. Take a look. I have two points of impact here----I hit it twice. See if you can figure out which one was the first one."
They all passed it around the table, examining it. Katlyn guessed,"The top one was first?"
"Yes. Do you know why?"
"Well....It's deeper."
"It is, but that's irrelevant. Look at these cracks. I'm gonna pass this around again. Important to remember: Cracks don't cross cracks. See how the cracks from the second impact stop where the first cracks are? That's the signal, every time." I could see the kids getting it---I could always tell when the lesson sank in. "The cracks from the first impact will always stop the cracks from the second. Cracks never cross cracks."
"This is the kind of thing I'd like to learn more of," said Riley.
I grinned. "I'll see what I can do. Guys, I want you to know....We're had another good year, and I am proud of all of you. See you next month."
We all got up to leave. Mikey said,"Hey! Lou! Wait up!"
He caught up with me and stuck his note in my pocket. I said,"Thanks, kiddo."
Downstairs, at my desk, I set down my folder and paperwork. I got out Mikey's note and unfolded it.
Thank you, Lou.
I smiled.
"Okay, Lou," said Bill. "How many chairs will you need?"
"About a dozen."
"Wait a minute," said Zach. "Eggs? I gotta know....What are you doing with eggs that teaches about the paranormal?"
I grinned. "Forensic anthropology. Bone fractures."
An hour before the meeting, I walked up to the Sloan Room. I sat down and picked up one of my hard-boiled eggs. Taking my pocketknife, I gave it two sharp raps---Pop, pop---And then looked it over.
It had two impact points, about an inch apart. Cracks spiderwebbed from them, crossing along the shell.
I nodded.
Perfect.
Katlyn, Mikey, Skylar, Abby, Ashlin, Riley, and Jayden all made the meeting. We sat around the table, and I gave out the handouts.
"I have some index cards on the table," I said. "We've been together another year now. Next month, we start with new members. No pressure, but I wanted to give you the option----If you have anything you'd like to say, anything you'd like to suggest, you can write it down. It's okay to criticize---You can do this anonymously."
A couple of the kids grabbed cards.
"Tonight we're learning about hoaxes," I said. "There is a certain type of flake that has nothing better to do than fake a paranormal sighting. Sometimes for the money, sometimes for attention. But there are all sorts of guys who will fake sightings and photos of Bigfoot, lake monsters, and ghosts. I think I've told you about the fake mammoth prints I found a while ago."
"Yeah, Katelynn loves that one," said Katlyn.
"It's important to see through these things. They do a lot of damage to everyone's credibility. Always stay scientific and investigate thoroughly. Look for hidden wires, strings, anything the hoaxer could have used. I've dealt with a few of these people....They can be tricky."
"You told us about the people in Renovo," said Ashlin.
"Oh, god. Them. Yes. And remember---The other side of this is that it damages the reliability of real sightings. I've had people say to me,'But they found Bigfoot prints that were a fake. That means there's no Bigfoot.' And I say,'So if I find some fake human prints, that means there's no human beings?'"
The kids all grinned.
"Sometime, someone may show you a fake bone or skull," I said. "I've had this happen. Okay, I'm kind of reaching....I just really, really wanted to teach you guys this." I picked up the eggs.
"I wondered what the eggs were doing there," said Katlyn.
"The eggs are our lesson tonight. Bone impacts, like the police investigate." I handed her the egg I'd cracked. "Pass this around. Take a look. I have two points of impact here----I hit it twice. See if you can figure out which one was the first one."
They all passed it around the table, examining it. Katlyn guessed,"The top one was first?"
"Yes. Do you know why?"
"Well....It's deeper."
"It is, but that's irrelevant. Look at these cracks. I'm gonna pass this around again. Important to remember: Cracks don't cross cracks. See how the cracks from the second impact stop where the first cracks are? That's the signal, every time." I could see the kids getting it---I could always tell when the lesson sank in. "The cracks from the first impact will always stop the cracks from the second. Cracks never cross cracks."
"This is the kind of thing I'd like to learn more of," said Riley.
I grinned. "I'll see what I can do. Guys, I want you to know....We're had another good year, and I am proud of all of you. See you next month."
We all got up to leave. Mikey said,"Hey! Lou! Wait up!"
He caught up with me and stuck his note in my pocket. I said,"Thanks, kiddo."
Downstairs, at my desk, I set down my folder and paperwork. I got out Mikey's note and unfolded it.
Thank you, Lou.
I smiled.