It’s fall, the time when the leaves autumn. Um, wait – let me try that again…
It’s autumn, the time when the leaves fall! That’s better.
OK, technically fall falls on the day of the autumnal equinox, which is still a couple weeks away. But those of us who sweat through summer are eager to feel the air chill and see the leaves go wild with colors.
But it’s more than that, too.
It’s the time of the harvest, that richness of plenty that stocks us up for the winter to come. It’s the time of year with the most extraordinarily beautiful light.
Yet for many of us, above all, it’s the season of Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, the holiday that the church plopped down in medieval Britain to try and lure country folk away from the pagan Samhain fire festival.
Jack o’ lanterns and ghost stories tell us that it didn’t really work, for creepy stories are a key part of the human psyche. After all, the dark side of life will never be absent, and when better to address it than in the dying days of the fall?
I’ve written before about the ghosts of Kenyon College, the legend of Sarah’s Grave over in Greer, tracked down the true story behind the often-seen ghost at Susie’s grave between Mount Vernon and Fredericktown, and even debunked a spooky story alleged to have taken place in Centerburg.
This time, I’d like to invite readers to send me their own true ghost stories to publish in a column around Halloween.
If you have a story of a ghost that you or someone close to you has experienced in Knox County, then drop me an email at Mark@Bardfood.com. I will use as many stories as I can, provided that your story sounds believable. If your tale gets too wild, you better send some proof as well.
I regret that I don’t have the time to do personal interviews with everyone who might have a story (I wish I did!), so I can only accept emailed stories.
Please drop me a line and let me know what misadventures you have experienced at the insubstantial hand of phantoms, and let me know whether you’d like me to use your name, or simply credit you as “Anonymous contributor from…” and the town or area.
This could be great fun, while also providing a fascinating collection of the spooky stories of Knox County. I hope to hear from you soon!
