Before I can begin my probably (not) logical reasons why I just really, really want there to be a monster in the depths of Loch Ness, you need to endure a quick flashback; picture me, age eleven, pre-braces, bootcut jeans, Boston Red Sox hat, standing on a boat in the middle of the loch during my family’s Scottish vacation. We were taking a day to explore the monster-centric town of Drumnadrochit, concluding with a boat tour complete with the best sonar technology 2008 had to offer. I was amazed, enraptured, and totally afraid of the dinosaur descendant I was convinced lived in the murky depths.

Years later, I still want to believe. Even though logic and reason beg me to examine the facts, I get excited whenever I remember the potential for some really cool eel or the like living in the waters of Scotland’s most famous loch. Getting out of class and seeing that someone had taken the most convincing photo of Nessie to date was enough to send me into a certified tizzy. I live for conspiracy theories. I’m the type of person clickbait articles are made for. Someone could tell me that they have proof that the loch ness monster has the power of invisibility and I would probably partially believe them.

Because, where’s the harm in hunting for Nessie? What’s the problem in wanting for our pretty much mundane world to have some parts that just don’t really make sense, parts that we can wonder about and try to find answers for? I want to believe that there’s still things in the world that we haven’t figured out, that we can keep trying to figure out, that are exciting and just really awesome and involve monsters.

Our hunt for Nessie, who, by now, is probably Nessie Jr. Jr. Jr., exemplifies the best and worst parts of our human nature – our dedication, our passion, our imagination, but also our selfishness and tendency to capitalize on everyone’s interest. Even if Nessie is out there, everyone’s tendency to take advantage of our willingness to believe has turned everyone into the perfect image of factual disbelief.

Maybe you don’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster, or maybe you’ve given up after years of people laughing. But, even if you refuse to admit that there’s potential for some freaky-looking creature currently abiding in this random loch in Scotland, I hope you believe in something else. I hope that sometimes you dare to hope for things that don’t always make sense, don’t always just dismiss people for wanting something fantastical and strange and pointless to be true. Because, where’s the fun in just looking at something average and not thinking it might hold something more?