Tuesday, April 16, 2024

There’s a sucker born every minute—and I wish more than anything I was one of ‘em

Can I climb on my soapbox for a few minutes?  I saw something on Sunday television this weekend that threw my usual tranquil Sunday-state-of-mind into a bit of upheaval.  More on that in a minute.

When my Grandpap Morris died in 1982, I felt sad for my Grandma Morris and my dad and my aunts & uncles but that was the extent of it.  Pap and I were never close.  He left Grandma in the early 1960s, and when they got back together around 1974, made no real effort to know his grandkids.  When I cried at his funeral, my dad was both touched and surprised.  Dad, I was crying for your loss—not mine.

When my Grandma Barnhart (my mom’s mother) died in 1988, I felt bad her last years were difficult ones, but little else.  She was an unkind person who never liked me and was abusive to my mom when she was a child.  I felt sad for my mom though, who maintained a loud, funny love/hate relationship with her mother for as long as I could remember. 

(I didn’t know my maternal grandfather, he died when Mom was only 5 years old.  Her only possession of him, a 5x7 framed photo now sits on my bedroom dresser.)

When Grandma Morris (my dad’s mom) died in 1997, I was 35 years old and felt the loss of a loved one for the first time in my life.  We were very close and the best of buddies from the time I was 4-5.  She was the best grandma, ever.

Grandma Morris & me, October 1996—my 35th birthday.  Sadly she’d be gone 6 months later

When Dad passed in 2001, I cried pretty hard at his funeral, and then never wept again.  I always wanted us to be closer, and now I knew we never would be.

When my mom died in 2004, I was devastated.  Her passing wrecked me, it was a struggle to get out of bed in the mornings for a good year.  My sister Shawn’s daughter, my niece Sophia kept me going though.  She was a newborn, only 2 months old and with no grandparents on either side to call her own, she would need all the family she could get.  I know I sure did.

Right after Mom died, I was almost desperate to know if there was the smallest chance she was still “out there” in some way, and would we see her again.  I’d scour the internet for articles from so called experts on the afterlife and interviews with mediums who assured us they were in constant contact with the dead.

And then I read Harry Houdini’s story, which saddened me greatly but was the wakeup call I needed.  When his own mother died, he was inconsolable; he often laid on her grave and wept.  But he was a world famous celebrity, and used his wealth to search the globe for one medium—JUST ONE—who could help him contact his mother.  He was unsuccessful. 

Houdini spent the rest of his days giving sold-out lectures on the fraudulent practice of speaking to the dead, that it was all a hoax and every medium was a fake, a charlatan.

I’m sharing all of this now because earlier today, on a respected news program, they did a report on Tyler Henry, a 28 year old “Hollywood medium”. 

He has a waiting list of 600,000 people willing to travel far & wide to meet with him, but when Jim Parsons (Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory) requests to speak to his real-life mee-maw, Tyler Henry will make house calls. 

Tyler Henry; yes this young man is smiling, all the way to the bank!

On CBS Sunday Morning, we see him on the stage in front of a large group of people, asking if anyone knows this random name and does it connect to this random month; yes, yes shouts someone from the audience!

C’mon people, his act is so old school it’s straight out of vaudeville!  Are you that desperate to believe?  It’s okay, I get it.  For a long time, I wanted to believe too.

But Tyler insists he’s real, and tells CBS that he believes half of the so-called mediums out there are phony.  Really Tyler?  Half?  THEY ALL ARE, TYLER.  JUST ASK HARRY HOUDINI.  

You can contact him, can’t you? 

Anyway, if you made it this far—thanks for listening and I’d be very curious to know what others think.  Apparently Tyler has a show on Netflix, but I don’t subscribe to that service so I’ve never seen it.  Am I being too harsh?  Have you seen it?  Does he seem legitimate to you?

I asked my friend Diana (who happens to be a pretty devout Christian) what she thought about contacting the dead.  She said she very much believed in an afterlife, but there was no bridge between their world and ours.  That made good sense to me.

45 comments:

  1. This was a really thought provoking read . I do not believe that there are people with the ability to contact the “ other side “ - and if Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t persuade me after watching Ghost , nothing will - but there are people who will take advantage of the grief and loss of others for a profit . In the UK the Medium / Spiritualist movement gained traction after the colossal number of deaths in WWI - and this was repeated in WW2. I see adverts offer sessions with Mediums as entertainment- not sure I would find it interesting. I wish there was truth in what they say - I would love one more conversation with Tony - but it’s not to be . Somber thoughts for a Tuesday afternoon .
    I hope you are feeling better
    Siobhan

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    1. Thank you for sharing Siobhan, my gosh I can just imagine those numbers following both wars. Anyway, I wish you could have that conversation too. 😔 PS Thank you for the well wishes, I don't think this is going anytime soon but I remain hopeful.

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  2. I'm so glad that you had such a loving and rich relationship with your Grandma Morris. I'm fortunate to be 67 and still have my mom around. I was 64 when Dad died. I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I too would like to believe that we can communicate with our dead loved ones, but I'm much too cynical to think that. I might be more inclined to trust mediums who don't take any money for what they do. Even so, nah.

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    1. Thanks very much Margaret, you are very lucky to still have your mom and I remember when your dad passed, I could have sworn that was just a year ago. As for you being cynical, I would say you're more smart than anything.

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  3. Hi Doug, I am sorry you didn’t have the relationship you wanted with your Dad, that is hard. I understand the devastation you can feel when a parent dies. As you know my Dad has been gone for 15 years and my Mum is 90 . I have to disagree with you about mediums. I visited one seven (?) years ago with a friend. The medium did not know I was coming, didn’t know my name until afterwards, didn’t know my friends name. She was spot on in so many things. Down to knowing a cousin name who had died ten years ago. I know there are so many fake mediums out there, I guess I hit on a good one. I also had something happen a week or so after my Dad died that firmed up my belief that the dead can contact you.
    Take care.❤️
    Robin

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    1. Robin, first of all I hope you know I consider you a dear friend and I respect your feelings and intelligence. I appreciate you sharing what you did here, this is precisely what I wanted to hear to be honest. I'm afraid of sounding naive, at the same time reading your comment here makes me hopeful. So thank you my friend.

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  4. Dug, first I will say that I don't believe in mediums as such. However, I also don't believe in nixing the 'possibility'. IMO the human brain's capacity has barely been touched. Some people are definitely more 'sensitive' to things than others. And things do happen (little incidents) that are unexplainable. So, to be honest, I will say that I would always be cynical... but still feel that the possibility exists.

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    1. Thank you Rian, much appreciated. You've always been one of the most open people I know and what you wrote here is very much how I want to feel. I very much enjoyed reading this.

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  5. In my opinion, death puts an end to further communication. Which makes our memories of the departed and our interactions with the living so important. A sweet photo of yourself and your gran. The dark wood paneling reminded me of how my mom decorated her living room. (Now under a much lighter paint job.)

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    1. Thank you Florence, and boy you are so right about the living. I learned that the very hard way when my dad died. (Kept meaning to try harder, kept waiting for the right time..) As for that dark wood paneling, I wrote a whole blog about that I haven't published... yet :)

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  6. We saw that piece on CBS Sunday Morning as well. I wasn't impressed. I probably shouldn't say this, but his face has the look of one of those people who have been brainwashed (often by "religious" sources.)

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    1. Bobi thanks for sharing, I'm glad you saw him too. I like your take on him, something cultist there, yes...

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  7. I hope there are spiritualists. I've never met one. Sometimes I do feel guided by those who came before me. Mostly I wish they were here so I could call them and share something that would make them so happy. My mom had a great memory and for sixteen years I have often said, (while wracking my brain) "my mom would know".
    Recently I went with a group of friends to have a "reading". I think it was $20 or maybe $30? This person had no relationship with anything having to do with me or my brain. She just kept shuffling cards and trying things out on me. I was trying to be polite - I know she felt like a failure. But it was a fun night out. Beside the "medium" part.

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    1. Thanks for sharing Miss Merry, as for your own medium experience, at least you had fun. And you just reminded me, a long time back, my own mom went with friends of hers to visit a medium in West Virginia. She was amazed and was a full believer. I have to ask my sister if she remembers that!

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  8. I’d go even further than you condemning these self-styled mediums (media?)
    They prey on vulnerable people, people who are often dealing with emotional problems. They are just scum.
    Well, I’ve got that off my chest.
    I’ll hold my tongue about what I think of the “afterlife”.

    I didn’t have much time to grieve when my mother died in 1980. I had to arrange the funeral and so on as my dad was too upset to do that himself. My sister couldn’t help as she was in San Francisco.
    Then when dad died (1987) it was the same. I did it all again.
    I still think of them quite often as they were the best people I’ve ever known.

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    1. Thank you for sharing Peter. Wow I am so sorry you were left to deal with both your parents deaths on your own. Very glad you thought the world of them. I suppose time makes things a little easier, but every so often I will miss my own mom like it was a year ago not 20.

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  9. Oh dear how terribly sad.

    I certainly don't believe that people who take money for contacting the dead are for real, it just seems too much mixture of the commercial and the sublime. Having said that , my mom (99) saw my deceased father several times after his death. I remember one instance where she told me that he came and stood in the door of her bedroom when she couldn't sleep in the night and said that he was just checking to make sure she was alright. I said something about maybe it was really in the early morning and she said "oh no, he never likes to get up early". Satisfying somehow.

    Lovely back story about how important your lovely niece is to you.

    Ceci

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    1. Ceci, thanks for sharing your opinion. But maybe that doesn't rule EVERYONE out, like your mother. I had to read this a couple times over, it was so sweet about her seeing your dad. I'd like to think that's true. And thank you for the niece comment. We're not close like we used to be, but she isn't any less special.

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  10. I never wanted to believe in after death connections, but when my dad died a week after I'd got home from visiting him, I felt that he was there, somewhere around me, for about three weeks, then he was just gone. I never had that when my mum died, she was just gone. I never knew my grandparents so wasn't upset when I heard they'd died.

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    1. Thank you for sharing River, loved reading that about your dad. It makes you wonder...

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  11. It's heartbreaking to realize there are people out there profiting on the grief of those who have lost a loved one. No one knows what happens after we die, and Christianity is a relatively new religion, compared to Buddhism and other ancient religions. I'm a strong believer in living a loving, caring life, knowing that this will bless those around us. But organized religion is not for me. My spiritual life is full and rewarding, knowing that I am doing my part to be a caring human being.

    As far as communicating with those who have passed, I still "talk" to my sweetheart who passed several years ago. It's a comfort to me, being able to still feel emotionally connected to him. But that's all it is; no hocus hocus.

    We all do what we must to find comfort after we suffer a loss. Grief is universal, and it breaks my heart to think that someone is preying on those who are suffering. Thanks for a great post Doug.

    Carole

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    1. Carole thanks do much for sharing your own beliefs here, you sound enlightened and at peace with things. I'd like to be more like that.

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  12. I remember years ago going to see a woman who could "read" your aura and tell you whether your loved ones were somehow available to say hello. It seemed really believable, but I was young and naive. Now, I wonder. I have dreams that have people in them who died that feel as real as waking life. I know that someday I will join them on the other side, and that makes me feel better somehow.

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    1. Thanks for sharing DJan, I've always admired your zen-Buddhist philosophies and belief system, knowing you'll see loved ones again someday... I wish I had that.

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  13. I think we always look for a sign that our loved ones remain with us. And while those signs may not be true, we accept them because we need that bit of peace. For example, when I bought a house for my daughter back in 2018, we took it as a sign that this was the right one because it was built in 1910 (my dad's birth year) and had lilies growing in the flower beds (my mom's favorite flower). Were my parents actually providing their approval? Probably not, but they were in our minds because we wanted that assurance.
    As for mediums, you must google Teresa/Theresa Caputo, the Long Island medium. She makes Tyler look like a child..which he is.

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    1. Maebeme, this was so nice to read. And you are so right about 'finding those signs', I know how they can really mean something. Thank you for sharing this and I've heard about Teresa Caputo, I'll have to check her out.

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  14. I used to read books about people who died briefly and their experiences while dead. The mind and brain are awesome. I believe these people.

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    1. Thanks Gigi, I almost touched on NDEs (near death experiences) here, this would be some good subject matter to read up on. Would love to know what these people experienced.

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  15. I'm with you 100%. The only "communication" with deceased loved ones (I believe) is within ones own heart/mind/spirit. I have no regard for these conniving people who prey on others during weak moments. And, actually, I'm disappointed in CBS Sunday Morning. I have not seen the segment but I know that many, many people will see this as a reputable, respected endorsement. People have a difficult enough time differentiating truth from "not truth" without good old CBS Sunday Morning muddying the waters.

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    1. Thanks very much Don, you clarified what I was trying to say. Regardless of one's personal feelings about mediums, I didn't feel it had a place on CBS Sunday Morning for precisely the reason you mentioned above. I always watched this show enjoying its focus on the arts, history. Muddying the waters is well put.

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  16. I don’t believe in mediums. But I believe there is some connection with the afterlife. In 2017, my mother was in a nursing home in a declining mental state. My youngest brother committed suicide very unexpectedly. He was 50 years old…the “baby” and was my mother’s heart. We knew her time was nearing the end and decided to not tell her because it would be too devastating. He did not live local and she was accustomed to not seeing him regularly. I went to see her a couple of days after his death. She very casually said, “Danny came to see me last night. He didn’t talk. Just stood over there by the door.” She had no idea he had passed. I believe she believed he was there. Maybe he was.

    I told my grandson to expect me when I die. If it is possible, I will visit him.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your story Anon, my God how tragic. I sure am sorry for what happened here, at the same time it does give one pause, what your mother saw. My gosh, who knows. Again I'm very sorry but thank you for sharing this. It helps me wonder.

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  17. Doesn't everybody have some unresolved issue? Getting resolution via mediums, tarot cards, palm readers and Ouija boards seems a little desperate and wishful thinking. I'm not a believer.

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    1. Thanks Susan, wishful thinking sums it up alright. I consider myself a cynic, but I truly wonder if "the right proof" could sucker me in..

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  18. Argh. check you spam, Doug. My comment either went in there or wandered off and got lost.

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  19. Thank you for your post. I’m sorry to hear about the difficult family members you have had to deal with but I’m glad you had a good experience with your grandma. That’s a nice picture of you two…my aunts husband died…extremely abusive..which my aunt tolerated too much..she is gone too and now we are left to deal with the aftermath of the abuse on my cousins..good riddance to him..my old friend I met in high school..his dad died last June..never friendly towards me never made me feel welcome..and I suspect abusive towards my old friend..once again..good riddance…I believe people can come to us from the beyond..but I think it’s up to them when and how…I have had many experiences..my mom died in 2008 lung cancer and my dad died in 2016 from leukemia. I loved my parents dearly and they loved us. I miss them both so much..but shortly after my mom died she started coming to me in my dreams and I knew it was my mom. She gave me messages that came true the next day. She was there off and on until shortly before my dad got sick. I believe she told me she would always be with me even if she stopped coming to me in dreams. I think my mom was hanging around for my dad. My dad came to me a few times and gave me messages that came true too..but not as much as my mom did…I miss them both..my life has been a little bit of a struggle and my one hope was to be with them again in a more peaceful time..it was the one thing I wanted the most but that’s not going to happen now..anyways..have you heard of Lily Dale?..it’s in upstate New York near Chautauqua.. we went there..it’s a commune of mediums..you can get a private reading..or you can get a free reading..in a group setting if you are lucky enough to get one..they have the free group reading 4-5 times a day…but I get there are alot of phonies out there and probably have the guessing the right details down to a science…I got picked in the group reading and I felt it was correct no guessing involved.

    Beth

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    1. My gosh Beth, thanks very much for sharing. I think that's wonderful you've been visited by your mom & dad (or memories of them) in your dreams, who's to say? And no, I've never heard of Lily Dale but it sounds like quite the experience--a commune of mediums! I need to read up some more on that. Thanks again for your comments here.

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    2. You’re welcome! www.lilydaleassembly.org I think it’s a good place to find out about phonies

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  20. Hi Doug I’m not a believer but like John Lennon said “whatever gets you through the night”. I find myself using that term a lot these days lol!! It was really good to see you the other day I hope things are improving. Take care and come visit us again

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    1. I was just thinking about you Mary, you'll see why if you check out my blog tomorrow. :^) Anyway thanks so much, it was great seeing you too. I'll be back soon, I'm getting there...

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  21. Evidently, my comment didn't take. Honestly! Anyways, what I was trying to say is that people sometimes want very badly to talk to a loved one, and that desire is what makes them so easily fooled. In other words, they believe because they WANT to believe. That being said, I do believe in the supernatural to a degree. That is, I have seen things happen that I cannot explain. For example, when my mother was dying, it was pretty awful. She died of liver failure and fluxuating ammonia levels meant that she was often irrational. She decided that my youngest sister and I were stealing from her. We weren't. We wouldn't. I believe that I had a brother and another sister kind of putting that bug in her ear, but... In any case, on her last night, I came to see her after school, and I could hear the death rattle before I even got in the door. My sister insisted that she had told my brother who called both my sister and I. I called my other sister and explained that our mother was dying. At the same time, my sister was calling my brother to have me thrown out. It was just so stupid, and it had been like that for the whole time my mother was dying. So I said to my mother, "Listen. I can't stay. I am so tired of the fighting. I love you. I will not see you again, but God speed. I got up to leave the room. There was a click, and a whir...and then very slowly, a music box played six notes veeeeerrrrrry slowly...'Let.....me.....call.....you....sweet.....heart....' and it stopped. It was a shock. I have that music box now. Sometimes, I think of those last awful days and all the anger. My brother is just unkind. My sister is mentally ill. I understand, and I accept them as they are, but I cannot help but wonder if my mother understands now...if she sees things differently. A few times I have looked at that music box in the curio cabinet and willed it to play with every fiber of my being. It never has.

    I can understand the desire to hear from a loved one again, but there are way too many frauds out there. My desire would make me an easy mark.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your story Debby, I don't understand the comments not taking, I'm sorry. But I appreciated this strange music box memory you shared, that is eerie. I'm just so sorry to read of your mother's last hours and family tensions... believe me, we had issues within our own family too.

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  22. Did you hear about the tiny paranormal investigator? He was a fraud, and finally the police were on his trail. Headline read: Small Medium At Large

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