Batty Thoughts

Who would think that college students believe that bats get tangled in hair? A scene in a biography that I read described just that- a bat got into a college dorm and everyone was hysterical about bats in their hair. Sad, if it wasn't so silly.
Bats are eerie. If they get close enough for you to touch them, they probably are rabid. Their caves stink and they are one of the few furry animals that isn't cute, but why does anyone think that they would want to get in hair?
Mythology books claim that ancient people believed that bats were souls, but I never take mythology books at face value. I think that when something is elusive, people like to make up explanations. 'Just So” stories to quiet inquisitive children.
We used to rent a cabin at Orcas Island every year with some friends. One night a bat got in through an open window. Since we were loaded down with fishing equipment, we got the net which was big enough to haul up those thirty pound salmon we planned on catching, and went for the bat. We chased it around that small place for about half an hour until someone got the bright idea to open the door to let it out. Which is probably the best thing to do with any animal you find trapped in a small space with you. The bat didn't waste any time in zipping out the door. I guess it went as fast as a bat out of hell.
It didn't try for anyone's hair. If it had, it would have got it. We were slow and clumsy compared to the little bat that easily zooms around in the dark catching tiny bugs. Now being pooped on, that might be a real concern.
Nancy Sherer