No Wisconsin Goodbyes

I left my bathroom and entered my bedroom and I felt soft ghost fuzzies around my body. I knew someone was there, but I didn't feel like they were trying to actively get my attention. Regardless, I sat down in my chair and started up a conversation.

I am speaking with a woman? - Yes

And we've spoken before? - No

Are you just passing through my house and my area? - Yes

Did you specifically come here to talk to me? - No

Is there something I can help you with? - No

Was that noise I heard you? - No

Was that noise you? - Yes

Did you just want to say hi? - No

Did you not realize I would pick up on your presence here? - Yes

I started to pick up on some information while I was asking those questions. It crossed my mind, almost a vague picture - too faint to really see her, but enough to give me an age idea.

I get the feeling you're in your.. young... in your forties? 30s... 40s... late 30s... at the age of 38, yes? - Yes

It was short notice. It wasn't like a long thing. It was a short illness or a short... it wasn't a heart attack. Was it a late cancer diagnosis? Like you didn't, like you kinda... - Yes 

I had been trying to think of how to say she didn't go in soon enough for it to be found out, but the rods crossed before I could finish translating my thoughts to my lips. 

And you left a family. - Yes

You had... the number 3. Did you have 3 children? - Yes

A bright flash happened to my right. I wasn't sure if it was my recorded or my lights around my little table. 

Oooo.... did you just make that flash on the right. - Yes

Oooo... and I've got goosebumps. I feel you. Hello! What was that noise? Was that someone hunting outside? Yeah. - Yes

I wish I had thought of a list of things to talk to spirits about. Are you FROM Winneconne? Did you live IN Winneconne? - No

Did you find your way here through that corner over there. Back behind me. Is that how you found your way here? - Yes

There is a corner in my room where I seem to have a great deal of paranormal activity. One of my guide spirits, Becky, informed me that it's some like a "portal." I don't want to use that word, because I think it's a bit tainted by media, but it is a gateway of sorts where spirits hop around to different places. I live on the water and I heard portals or gateways are sometimes connected to the flow of the water. Sadly, duck hunters are also attached to water and were about the interrupt my session.

Is that another hunter? Are those gunshots? - Yes

WHAT THE HECK! IT'S AFTER 9PM!

I ranted a little before I redirected myself to know more about where she is from.

Are you from oshkosh? Is that where your home was... or is? - Yes

Were you on the south side of town? - No

Were you part of the northern area? Where the Wendy's is? Where the Tech School is? - sort of yes

I had another moment of reflection, where I felt her sharing herself with me. It was a feeling of sadness and loss.

I'm really sorry you went through that.

Do you want to tell me your name hun? - Waited for her to share her name.

I got Megan. Is your name Megan? - Yes

Thank you. Thank you for that. Is there anything you want me to know? - No

Anything you want to share with me? That you just want someone else to know? - No

Do you visit your family? - Yes

Good. One of them knows that you watch over them. One of your daughters. - Yes

Is it the youngest one? Does she know that you watch over them? - Yes

Let them know. Do more to let them know. Because they need you and they love you. - Yes

I feel... a little something on my right calf. Is that you? Is that you I feel? - Yes

You're just nearby. I just got the image of a little girl grabbing onto the lower part of your leg. Is that your memory? One that is really precious for you? - Yes

I remember when my daughter used to do that. It was so sweet. 

I have Turkey Trot in my head. Is that. Do you.. did you used to participate in the Turkey Trot in Downtown Oshkosh. - Yes

Did you walk? Did you walk it? - Yes

That's sweet. I do that, too. 

Were you just passing through cause you were - I like to call it sightseeing. Its when you get to walk around and see different places that maybe you normally wouldn't have. Are you just kinda sightseeing a little bit? - Yes

Best way to see the world! - Yes!

Did you enjoy traveling when... you... were on this... side of things? - Yes

What was your favorite place to go? I heard Green Bay. Is that what you... - Yes

(laughing) I don't disagree with you. I had so much fun there. Was is because I GOTTA GO TO LAMBEAU! - Yes

Oh you're a Packer's fan? - Yes

Gotta love the Packers! - Yes

I paused for a moment of reflection. Feeling connected to her again, sharing things with them and the I started to speak out again.

Awe Megan. I do have to thank you for talking to me. I do appreciate it. You didn't have to stay and talk, but I appreciate you staying and talking to me. It is really quite nice. You are helping me grow and helping me be a better person. And I thank you for that. - rods cross

What kind of cancer was it, if you don't mind my asking? Was it? (I started picturing my mom who had ovarian cancer.) Was it really ovarian cancer? - No 

I'm close. It's not quite the ovaries? Was it uterine. Something with the lady bits? - No 

Ooo, I got farther away. Was it a female oriented cancer, like breast cancer? - No

Say it really loud for me hun. Was it? Was it pancreas? Pancreatic cancer? - yes. That came up for me a little bit ago too. I just wasn't sure. OOOOOO (massive goosebumps all over the body). 

I really want to thank you for sharing that with me. Awe, I want to give you a hug so bad. Is that what you're doing right now? (It's just rolling goosebumps and I'm picturing a hug.) Are you like leaning forward and giving me a hug. - Yes

Honey I appreciate it so much. I am going to give it right now. (I lean forward to do an air hug.)

I appreciate you. And I thank you for sharing all of this with me, your family. What's happened to you. The things that make you so happy. Thank you for that. I don't want to keep you much longer. But I do just want to thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you? - No

Thank you for having this conversation with me. I am glad you didn't just run away and that you stayed. I do appreciate it. Do you get to talk to people often? - No 

If you ever do need to talk, Megan, you can always come back to me and I'll be here. Ok? - Yes 

I don't want to make this a Wisconsin goodbye, you know what those are like... they take FOREVER! So I'll say goodbye and thank you and if you ever need anything, I'm here. Thank you. 

This exchange was so meaningful for me. Megan was just a spirit traveling around and I happened to engage with her. Thankfully, she was willing to answer my questions and interact with me in a myriad of ways. She made lights brighten and I experienced strong ghost fuzzies. She even helped me feel the region where her cancer was on her body. When I told her that she truly helped me grow, I wasn't kidding. This particular exchange will last long in my memory and I thank her for sharing so much of herself with me through questions, thoughts, and feelings. 

I have tried to look for more information on Megan, but I wasn't able to locate anything online yet.

The Grand Opera House Oshkosh (June 2016 & October 2022)

In June 2016, I was taking a class with the Fox Valley Writing Project and we went to The Grand Oshkosh for inspiration writing. I took just a few pictures and as I was listening to the lady explaining to us the history of The Grand, I had my camera out and I was following a light that drifted down the aisle past me and hovered around one of my instructors near the floor. It was a bluish-white color. I couldn’t see the light, except through the camera. The light left my instructor and then glided up to the stage and went back and forth along the back of the stage. If the light went behind the instructor you couldn’t see it anymore. I followed it for most of the speaking time and then it just disappeared. 

I tried to film it and I even have a 2 second video where I say, “Oh! Now it’s gone.” Sadly, I tried twice and both times it didn’t pick up on film. I have two photos. One didn’t pick up on it and the other barely showed it, but I got it before it disappeared behind a chair. It’s not the BIG light, it’s below it by the chair legs, very tiny. That's the spot that moved in all directions and up and down the aisle. The instructor that it passed is the one in the yellow shirt.

I didn't go here hoping to catch something. It was a day out with my class for a writing activity. I haven't returned since, but I've heard that they frequently have activity. I know what I saw and I am confident they have paranormal activity at their location.

I hadn't returned to The Grand until October 2022 when they offered a Ghost Tour and mini-interactive spirit session. My daughter and I went together to learn more about this locally haunted attraction. I, of course, wanted to know if what I had seen had been seen by other people. 

The first part of the tour was the brief history of the Grand and it was followed by ghost stories of various locations in The Grand. They named their prominent ghosts and who they thought they were. The one who frequently appears on the stage was one of the prolific owners of the The Grand. When I thought back to my own experience, watching the light "meander" down the main aisle and then walking around on the stage, I wondered if that's who I saw in an energy form. We also learned about Native American spirits who are prominent in the downstairs dressing rooms.

I don't particularly want to go into all their stories, because I want to support The Grand and I want to recommend that you, wherever you live, learn more about their stories and history. But one story we were told about was about the little boy spirit who lives in the basement. It is speculated that he maybe passed on down there. See, the basement was where they moved carts of coal, if I'm not mistaken. If memory serves me correctly, they speculated that he may have died in a cart accident. Like many ghost hunters nowadays, they felt it was taboo to ask the spirit about their death, so they didn't have details about it. 

The little boy, though, is their most interactive spirit. So on this tour one of the ladies who was guiding us had a set of divining rods (or spirits rods or dowsing rods if you prefer). She used them to communicate with the little boy. I know some people will say it's a parlor trick or just a way to get people excited, but as someone who frequently uses divining rods, I know that they can be effective when used properly. 

The woman leading the interaction would ask questions like "can you point to where you are in the room?" or "can you point at [this person] in the room?" I had never thought to use the rods to ask questions like that before. Then, as the interactions continued, I learned the most interactive experience you could do with the rods and I, again, had never heard of or thought of it. She explained that sometimes the little boy likes to hug. That he'll cross and lock the rods against your chest. A ghost can hug you? I didn't even think a ghost would need a hug! Then it made me think of my mom and I knew that I would be going home and trying it with my mom. 

During the rod session my daughter took part in the activity and the rods locked up on her. The lady said that he was doing that, because he was being silly about interacting. Isabelle said she knew she didn't move them like that and if she was moving them, wouldn't have kept them stuck in the inner hug position. Other people who tried had similar situations to what my daughter experienced, but a few had other experiences where the little boy actually answered their questions. I had an experience while my daughter was holding them and I felt the little boy near us. I slowly had an image of him start to form in my mind, but then it disappeared and I lost connection to what was near me. 

The tour continued, ending with the beautiful view of the stage and a summary of the wonderful stories that make The Grand an absolutely grand place. 

I've had my experiences there and I know there are more to be had. I would go back to learn the stories of the spirits that reside there, but I'd like to learn them from the spirits.