'Stories of people dating tens to hundreds of people'?? Allow me to humbly suggest you take those stories and stick 'em in the nearest salt-barrel for a good long time. Then, inspect them and see if those numbers have come down to something more credible. And ask, over how long a period of time? They could be talking about over decades, in which case the dates, averaged out, might not amount to all that much. And don't forget, other creatures and nature also need our loving care. Maybe a good place to start would be to volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter? Just a suggestion.