Did you ever watch the The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends? I think that was the show that for one of the segments they’d have a title for something, but then the announcer would say, “Or…” and would fill in an alternate title.
His voice is in my head, as this post could also be titled: “Why Does Death Make People Act Like Such Jerks?”
Recently my friend Lon shared his Go Fund Me page with me. (I’ve posted the link below.)
If you’re one of my paranormal friends reading this, Lon Strickler’s name will immediately ring a bell.
If not, let me clue you in. He’s sort of a legend in the paranormal community. He’s the creator of the enormously popular and well-respected site Phantoms & Monsters.
He’s a prolific blogger, has had a radio show in one form or another for years and years, and even has a few books out.
He’s investigated all sorts of cases, and his expertise has been sought after for everything from local news broadcasts to popular paranormal TV docu-series.
So how on earth is such a successful man strapped for cash?
Life. It happens. Sometimes it sucks. Once in a while it throws you curves that spiral you down into a hole that seems impossible to climb out of.
That’s what happened to Lon. He’s been on disability since 2001. Him and his wife were getting by until she got sick with cancer and died in 2015. Those bills ate him up.
Shortly after his wife died, his grandma died. It actually proved a fortuitous twist of fate despite the circumstances. His father proposed Lon and his son move into the grandma’s house, which has been in Lon’s family over 100 years. His dad said it would eventually pass to him anyway, and it would help to have someone there keeping an eye on things.
Lon didn’t have much, but his disability would cover the property taxes, which would help his dad out financially, since his business was struggling.
Well, enter Lon’s step-mom, who pulled a fast one. Fearing her and her kids would lose out, she had Lon’s dad change the will (unbeknownst to Lon) and no longer was the grandmother’s property bequeathed to Lon upon his dad’s passing. It went all to the wife.
Which Lon found out when his dad died, which he recently did.
Can I relate to this? Oh yes I can.
My “I’m never getting married because I don’t need a man” sister pity-talked my mom into leaving her the house –because she’s not married and I am.
Don’t get me wrong. I got some cash, so I shouldn’t complain. And I’m not about that.
I objected to being used by my sister to care for our mom all alone in her dying days. It was my last ditch attempt to try and sway my mom to see me as a good daughter and worthy of her love. It was Hell. All she did was give me grief.
In the end, all I was worth to my mom was a 70/30 split. My share being the 30.
So, yeah, I feel Lon’s pain.
I don’t know why people get so blinded by greed like what happened in Lon’s situation or mine, but there’s just no polite way to put it except it’s really shitty.
Anyway, here’s the link to Lon’s Go Fund Me page if you’d like to help him, his son Matt, and his cat Vinny get some money to put towards their unexpected relocating expenses.
Interesting read.
Thx Jim!