Formal Apology to the Southern Michigan Paranormals

Yesterday I read a comment that Dan from the Southern Michigan Paranormals left on the About page. He was wanting to state his side in regards to some comment I had left about a news article on their investigation of the Van Buren Poor House in Lawrence, Michigan.

The place did not ring a bell, nor did his group’s name. For the life of me I could not figure out what he was talking about. So I Googled “Van Buren Poor House Courtney Mroch” and bingo!  Up popped a story from GhostTheory: Van Buren County Museum Haunted?

I scrolled down to my comment, then back up to re-read the post, and then I sat scratching my head.

If I had seen an article like the one referenced in the GhostTheory post these days, I would Tweet it, Stumble it, and share it on Facebook (the three major social networking sites I haunt), not blast it.

So what on earth possessed me to leave a remark, among others, saying, “I don’t much care for the ‘newspaper covering a ghost hunting group’ story either…And I think that this type of ghost hunting isn’t really purposeful.”

WTF?

And that was only part of it. I rambled on about some other bullshit too. Not directly aimed at SMP, but it had a definite “holier than thou/I’m way smarter than most yahoo ghost chasers” air to it.

I’d like to say I didn’t leave that comment. I did. I’d like to say someone stole my identity. No one did.

Was I high that day? I don’t smoke wacky tobacky or do drugs, but I had to be on something to ever leave such an unwarranted snarky comment like that. Mind you, I’m not afraid to leave snarky comments, but I also don’t like to. Being bitchy is just not how I roll. However, I’m also not shy about leaving snarky remarks if a situation warrants it.

In the case, the situation most certainly did not warrant it.

The only thing I can think is I must have read Javier’s intro to the article, but not all of the actual article he’d copied into his post. If I had, I can’t imagine I would ever say what the story covered, or what Dan’s group does, is “paranormal posing” in any way, shape, or form. Or that it’s “not purposeful.”

Wow. If I could ever be so wrong, it was then.

Dan and his group of Southern Michigan Paranormals are exactly the kind of people the paranormal community needs more of, and needs to know more about. Dan made it clear in his comment to me that him and his group strive to help historic locations by participating in events and such. They’re haunted preservationists. Not only that, they believe in working with and networking with other paranormal teams. They’re totally the kind of people I love and try to associate myself with.

I’m really glad Dan stopped by and brought this to my attention. I owe him and the Southern Michigan Paranormals a formal apology for my comment. I don’t know what I was thinking then, but the jaunter I am these days is appalled by that comment.

I hope you all will accept my apology. Keep up your good work. Perhaps I will have the chance to check out the ghost tour Dan runs in Howell, Michigan, someday. (Although I might not admit who I am until after I’ve taken it.)

Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.

Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.