As mentioned in my “MiParacon X” post, I planned to go back to MiParacon in 2020…however, I think we all know how that story goes. So, after a long, two-year wait, I was finally able to return to MiParacon and catch up with a lot of the para-family.
I have said it before and I will say it again, these people are some of the nicest people you will have the pleasure of meeting. Dustin Pari was appropriately placed at the entrance of the main vendor hall. He is a ray of sunshine, so he was the perfect face to greet everyone. It is not surprising that he also gives inspirational lectures across the country and posts motivational videos on YouTube. I worked my way counter-clockwise so the next table I stopped at was the Wraith Chaser table with Mike and Chris. Next in line was Brian Cano. It is always a pleasure to speak with him. He was kind enough to let me interview him for a YouTube show, last year. It was a 7-minute segment but he is so informative and such a fascinating speaker that I had a hard time figuring out what parts to trim to make it fit. Taking up the back right corner of the room was the cast of Ghost Nation. I have known Dave Tango and Steve for quite a few years now. They are great guys but I never seem to get to hang out with them as much as I would like. These conventions are busy! Coming full circle, just adjacent from Dustin, were the Ghost Brothers. I took a picture with them, last time, but I was able to speak with them this year. They are super nice and I hope to see them again. In the hall between the vendor rooms they had a special guest star, Butch Patrick, a.k.a. Eddie Munster. I used to watch The Munsters on Nick at Nite so it was cool getting to meet him. Oh! and I can not forget about the enormous ouija board they had on display!
In the next vendor room over, I caught up with Aaron Sagers. He has an extensive media resume, is the moderator for many impressive celebrity panels at Comic-Cons, and, yet, still has a way of making me feel like I’m just as equally interesting as everyone he has had the chance to meet. For instance, he asked me about a business idea I mentioned to him, previously, and was really motivating me to not give up on it.
Downstairs was another vendor room and the lecture theatre. Two of the vendors in the downstairs room were Dave Schrader and Jeff Belanger. I have known them for 10 years now. They are simply great individuals…and if you let them anywhere near each other, well, get ready for a comedic duo. I attended both of their presentations. Dave actually had to presentations; one with his Holzer Files co-stars and one where he discussed setting intentions. Before his Holzer Files Q&A, he was giving out a couple of books to those who knew “Dave Trivia”. One of the questions was “what location was my first appearance on Ghost Adventures?”. I raised me hand and yelled out “Rolling Hills”. He replied, “Rolling Hills?!!!”, in an “are you kidding me” kind of tone. Just as I was feeling the embarrassment set in, he laughed and said “You are right! Come get your book.” Phew! I had to check my make-up after the Q&A; the laughs were non-stop. You can always count on Dave to bring the humor. I was able to finally meet Shane Pittman from Holzer Files, as well. It was a pleasure. Dave’s seminar on setting intentions was very inspiring. It was interesting to learn how he first got started in radio. I won’t tell all the secrets; you will just have to go to one of his presentations and learn for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Also inspiring was Jeff’s lecture. He told the story of his trip up Mount Kilimanjaro. It is a fantastic story and you can read all about it in his book The Call of Kilimanjaro. Another vendor, who I had never met before, was Mike Ricksecker. He was sitting across from Dave’s table. Just like in 2019, with Brian Cano, I found myself too shy to go talk to him. I waited until the airport to talk to Brian but, having learned my lesson, decided to go up to Mike’s table before the event ended. I am glad I did. He actually does events around the world, including Egypt! I may just have to look into that a little further.
Saturday night was the last chance to hang out with everyone. Why do the weekends have to fly by so fast? I took some last-minute photos with Aaron and Jeff (who said, “look like you don’t know what a camera is”) but never pinned Dave down for one. Dustin introduced me to an EMT named John, who was nice enough to invite me into a picture with him and Dave Tango. Just like that, though, I found myself packing for the return trip home. I am definitely looking forward to the next chance to see everyone.
The Deven Times 