American Witch

Educated Horses / Rob Zombie











Okay, today is my work blog day too. Usually, if I can write one, I can write the other. But, no. Today is a day that when I look at the screen before me I go blank. Nothing. My mind is a void. I have one thought: I’m tired. Yes. Great.



So, for my other blog, I happened to learn that today in history 318 years ago the last witches were hung in Salem. This disturbing fact did not offer a whole lot to go on, but it did suffice for a work blog. The more interesting fact was that among those hung on this day was a the great, great, great and probably a lot more greats, grandmother of a man I used to work for.


He was interesting guy. He was well into retirement age when I met him. He ran a private school and I worked for him for 3 three years. In fact, he was neither a very nice or competent being, but he was charming. Charm is a funny thing. From the first time I met this man I liked him. I couldn’t really explain why, I just liked him.  He was horrible and yet, I liked him.


One day he told me that yes, he knew there were 14 year old young women, walking half a mile in the dark on a country road at 10 and 11 pm at night to wait at the train station. And yes, he knew there was a registered sex offender convicted of assault on young women living in the immediate area. But, no, he was not going to change anything about the situation. He said it in the same calm, nice way and though I was furious, he was still likeable. I didn’t want to, but there was just something charming.


When I found out his relative was hung for witchcraft, for the first time it gave me pause. Maybe… some of the people in Salem…were right? I had always dismissed this idea. And frankly, if the people were right and there were witches there, I don’t think they should have been hung or burned at the stake, but… what if…?


On further thought, I dismissed this on the grounds that if witches were charming, they would not have been hung.

RIP

MARTHA CORY of Salem Farmes

MARY ESTY of Topsfield

ALICE PARKER of Salem

MARY PARKER of Andover

ANN PUDEATOR of Salem

WILMOT REDD of Marblehead

MARGARET SCOTT of Rowley

SAMUEL WARDWELL of Andover

Hanged September 22, 1692