I can't sleep again. Want to hear a good old middle-of-the-night ghost story?
When I was a kid, I went to Mary B. Lewis Elementary school in beautiful Bloomington California. It was located right on San Bernardino Avenue, an old two lane highway that ran forever - from Redlands to Pomona at least, probably all the way to L.A. It was a major thoroughfare and this was the 60s; people drove big cars and they drove them like hell. The legend was that, when the school was being built, some kid playing at the site ran out onto San Bernardino Avenue. Mary B. Lewis rushed out into the street, pushed him to safety and was killed by an oncoming car. Legend had it that she had just enough time to cross herself before meeting her maker. In honor of her selfless deed, the local authorities named the school after her. I don't remember who first told me this story; it was common knowledge in the neighborhood. She was our patron saint, a paragon that none of us could ever live up to. I mean, sheesh, she stepped out into traffic for some kid; can't top that, now can you?
All through my school years I carried a vivid mental image of her genuflecting before the grill of an oncoming vehicle.
That image of Mary kneeling in traffic recently reappeared in my fevered little head and wouldn't go away. It seemed like a good subject for a song. So, I started writing about it, thinking about it, tweaking it, and it occurs to me - hey I have access to that there Google, maybe I can find out something about the history of the school or the origin of the story.
I couldn't find much about the school; the Colton Unified School District is pretty marginal and their web presence leaves much to be desired. What I did find online were several sites saying Mary B. Lewis Elementary is haunted. Apparently a ghost walks the halls in the middle of the night (although who is there in the middle of the night to see it?)
I don't believe in ghosts. I don't believe that we linger here as anything recognizably human. I don't know if I even believe in an afterlife per se, at least not one that we can comprehend with our tiny mammalian brain. But, I can't help but wonder if ol' Mary B. somehow put this song in my brain. Damn girl, they already named a school after you; what more do you want?
2 comments:
I would have like to have sent this to you in a more private way
but I wanted to pass on some information about the school you went
to and what really happened to Mary that day. Here is a side by side comparison
http://hauntedempire.snack.ws/the-conflicting-reports-of-what-happened-to-mary-b-lewis-the-day-she-died.html
I too attended MBL back in the day... In the mid fifties to early 1960's we knew the story of Mary B. Lewis but it was never explained in detail. I was glad to see the current school web site has a more detailed explanation.
I had not seen the press clippings dealing with the accident I appreciate the enlightening research which I don't dispute.
I grew up on Frankfort behind MBL - back in the day it was a good location to buy a new home as back then you could simply walk into MBL through the back gate which is apparently a no no these days. In those times there were new homes nearby and it was post WWII and the area was full of opportunity for jobs with Kaiser and affordable new homes.
I recall NO stories of ghosts at MBL. The only thing I can say about the bathrooms was they had a problem with the girls restroom as apparently a heavy gal liked to sit on the sinks. She was so heavy it often broke the sink off of the wall (if I recall correctly after 50 years).
Regarding Ghosts... In my opinion you will believe in them should you see one - if you have not you probably will not. I have seen a ghost in person and believe they are very real. Who can say what has happened at MBL since I moved on to BJHS in 1962? But I doubt MBL is haunted or we would have hard a lot more about it.
MBL has been a closed campus for a few years now - it is locked up tight at night. But if a paranormal group wanted to investigate I'd suggest they set up full spectrum lights and cameras in the bathrooms and let them run for total coverage. A full spectrum camera can see UV and IR light which is above or below our eyesight range of vision. In most cases ghosts appear as blobs in the UV range under such surveillance.
I for one would like to see this done to either affirm or dispel the rumors. I don't know of the Colton Unified District would allow such a study...
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