Ghost Walk... Celebrating Life!

Other than candy, I’m not really into Halloween. I’ve always been very impressionable and after watching Hush, hush Sweet Charlotte as a kid and having nightmares for three weeks after, I swore off anything remotely scary. I’ve pretty much stuck with that through my adult life.

So, when Lisa Swickard offered to do ghost walks here at the farm, I was ambivalent. She wanted to contribute to the long-term restoration and outreach of Winterberry Farm so she offered to donate all of the proceeds from the walks. What a blessing for Winterberry Farm; but, there was still the scary thing.

Now, Lisa and I go back a ways when we both worked at the Advertise-Tribune and I respect her skills as a reporter. I admire her interest in preserving local history by sharing it through various channels. She has several books that, if you don’t have them, you should because you would learn some fascinating and heart-warming things about our community. She is a talented writer. So, ghost walks… hmmm. I was a bit embarrassed because I hadn’t gone to any of her ghost walks over the past five years. How do you tell someone that as a 6’ 1" adult, you’d really rather not do scary things? So, we talked about it.

Lisa and I had spoken before as I was researching the history of the farm and we had shared information back and forth. So, what exactly is a ghost walk? I know what I had in my head. It’s thrill seekers looking to stir up things that are better left alone.

I told her I love my farm, I feel comfortable here and I’d like for it to stay that way. We talked about the people who lived on the farm, even before it was “a farm” -- the work they did, the hardships and victories they experienced. Some of it is tragic, some of it is funny, some of it just plain interesting. Kind of like our lives, in fact, when Lisa’s team came out to do a walk-through, what I realized more than ever is that the people that lived and died in our community just want to be remembered. If there are such things as spirits, and we all have an energy that animates us, and it lives on after we are gone, it probably just wants to be seen, heard, understood. I think that’s a basic human desire for all of us, to connect. I love history for this reason, I like feeling the connection to those who came before and, if I am blessed, I will be remembered too. None of us are separate. We are all an integral thread in the tapestry of life. Each thread is essential for that tapestry to be complete.

Mary J. Lambright and Henry Luther Best

Our intention in sharing these ghost walks at Winterberry Farm with you is to remember the people who came before, to bless their lives, and honor their contributions. The reason parables are so powerful is that there are things to be learned in every story. The scary thing would be to forget.

I hope you’ll join us for this celebration of Life!

Click this link for more information: GHOST WALKS