We are really into bats right now and not because it’s Halloween time. Just because, that’s all. Bats are cool. The natural science museum in Denver had a bat presentation and since then we’ve been reading all we can get our hands on about those strangely adorable little flying mammals. Did you know that there are 3 bat species that eat fish? Yep, they dive right down and scoop up fish with their big feet just like an osprey.There’s a wrinkle-faced bat that has no hair on it’s face. When it roosts, it covers it’s entire head with the loose skin flap gathered at it’s chin.
So, when I learned last week that there isn’t a single blind bat, I felt betrayed. That good ol’ saying, “blind as a bat”, is likely imbedded in our genetic code. I grew up hearing that and subsequently saying it. My son hears me say it. I always felt just a tad smarter than, oh, I don’t know…a bat?…from knowing that phrase, and hence knowing that very important piece of biological truth – that bats are blind.
It’s really not a big deal that they can see. Good for them. The point is that we don’t see. I bet that if you polled 100 random Americans, make it 10,000, at least 90% of them would say that, why, yes, bats are blind. Of course, even my dog could tell you that, they’d say. Well, 20% of them would say that part. I find it fascinating how language and sayings shape our beliefs and knowledge base. What other sayings have we internalized through cellular memory of generational colloquialisms that simply are not true, do not point to any truth, and we have no idea?
Now, if you are reading this and thinking to yourself, what in the world is she talking about? Everyone knows bats can see and it’s JUST a saying! Then, by all means, do not be shy to comment. It will not be the first time that I lived my life believing all along something was true, only to find that I was barking up the wrong tree. (WHAT in the world does THAT mean?)