The Villages - September 2019 - 35

story) that they burst into tears."
According to Rusnak, there are
around 200 people total who have
signed up for meetings at some point or
another, but meetings usually consist
of around 40 to 60 people on average.
The club meets twice a month -
on the second Friday at 6:30 p.m. and
the fourth Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
- at Chula Vista Recreation Center,
and people are invited to share their
own stories and experiences. At the
Friday evening meetings, the club often
invites special guests who are experts
on a certain topic to come talk to the
club and participate in Q&A sessions
with members.
Ever the travel agent, Rusnak also
organizes tours of haunted locations
around Central Florida, including a
history and folklore and things that go
WHEN SOMEONE
trip to the famous May-Stringer House,
way back. I picked the most haunted
TELLS SOMETHING
a well-known haunted house in nearby
places in Ireland - including the hotel
VERY EMOTIONAL,
Brooksville.
where (my experience) happened -
I
ALWAYS
FOLLOW
When he shared his own paranorand I made a custom trip."
UP WITH, 'HOW DID
Rusnak says he hopes to satisfy whatmal experience in Ireland with the
THAT MAKE YOU
ever it is inside him by doing this trip -
group, several people got in touch with
to "close the book" in his own words, but
him and told them they felt compelled
FEEL?' THEY SAY,
he is not sure whether that will happen
to join him on a second trip to Ireland.
'OH, I FEEL SO MUCH
or not. He says his goal is to eventually
Rusnak since has organized a haunted
BETTER NOW.'
publish a book sharing his and others'
tour of Ireland that will be visiting sev- Paul Rusnak
stories about the paranormal.
eral locations, including haunted cas"I'm keeping my mind open - I'm
tles, hotels and crypts. The trip also is
allowing for the possibility of anything," Rusnak said.
taking place over Halloween at the end of October - a
"I've surrounded myself with people that have much
time when the veil between the world of the living and
more sensitivity to this stuff, and I'm bringing them
the dead is at its thinnest, according to Rusnak.
with me to Ireland to explore. That's all I can say. This is
"Halloween started in Ireland, and there was this
all new to me."
thing called Samhain - it's the closest veil when the
He understands there will always be skeptics
living and dead meet," he said. "There's all sorts of
and naysayers who doubt those experiences, but
that also is why he enjoys having speakers from
all walks of life and from all sorts of backgrounds
The Villages Ghost Stories Club
share at club meetings. His goal is to have a variety of opinions offered at meetings, and people
Meets: Second Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and the
can form their own thoughts from there.
fourth Wednesday of each month at 2:30 p.m.
"The thing about it is, you can't prove it and
Where: Chula Vista Recreation Center
you can't disprove it," Rusnak said. "There is no
More Info: Call 908-400-6200 for more information about
proof, it's whatever people believe. These are all
the club or attend one of the monthly meetings.
believers."

MAGAZINE

The Villages - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - September 2019