My name is Ross Arnold and I am 67 years old, born March 18, 1931. I remember when I was a child (approx 3 1/2), visiting Electric Park in Kansas City, Mo. My first memory of Electric Park was the arched gateway that was lit with what appeared to me to be thousands of lights. In my memorory, the lights were white, but I would think they were more likely colored. The arch had the words 'Electric Park' spelled out. I know this and I assume I asked my father who was caring for me. We entered the park, and I faintly remember riding on my father's shoulders as we went through a midway type section with carnival rides and booths. I remember a fountain display that had ladies appear and disappear in fountains lit by colored lights. I remember this only faintly. We went to a man made lake that had a rock wall around it and we found a place on the lawn and watched a combination fireworks display and fountains that were lit by colored lights and were constantly changing. It was an extremely fascinating and exciting display and I was awe struck. In the year 1940 or 41, I lived about one block from Brush Creek Park. The park near where I lived had two wooden walk bridges over Brush Creek, but in the spring heavy rains caused a flood that washed the bridges away. (The exact date could be established by finding the year the bridges were washed out ) To my knowledge they were never replaced. The area directly west of my home was wooded and an excellent place for childhood games. One day about a month after the flood, we were playing in the more western area of the woods, where we had often played before. It was necessary to cross 'Woodland' to enter this section of the woods. I mentioned that we had often played in this area, but now, as a result of the rains, there was a lake, surrounded by a rock wall. The watewr was ugly and the trees were sparse of leaves. It looked like a Disney picture of the 'poisoned forest'. There was even a bloated dead pig floating in the water. I was dumbstruck, as I recognized this lake as the beautiful lake I had seen as a child. I could not believe such a beautiful place was so very ugly. My friends tried to get me to return to our games but I was in a shock at how horrible the lake now appeared to be. They told me that I just stared at the lake for a long time. All I remember was how ugly the lake now was. I do not remember returning home. Later, probably in 1943, I got a job picking up golf balls in the Electric Park Golf Driving range. I had worked the previous year for Smiley Bell at his golf driving range in Mission Kansas but could not returtn there as he said I had grown too old. The Electric Park Driving Range was very rundown and the grass was not lush and full like the Mission Kansas range. It did have the arch at the gate, except it no longer was electric and the light sockets had been painted over with white paint. The fence was in very poor shape and the overall appearance was decrepit. I recognized the arch from when I had visited it as a child, but was not bothered too much by its battered appearance. The expanse of the driving area extended about 400 yards beyond the mounds built up for hitting the golf balls. The area beyond the 'range area was the beginning of a wooded area which I recognized as probably the western extremity of the woods wherewe used to play. I only worked there about two weks as it was not a pleasant place to work. In discussing my childhood with my wife, I often described to my wife the beauty of Electric Park vs the uglyness of the lake after the flood and the ramshackle entrance to what used too be such a grand entrance. Recently, while discussing my childhood, she accused me of making up my stories as I had too man events to fit into the alloted time period. I then told her I would gather information on Electric Park using the Internet. I was successful, and I found postcards of Electric Park, which I showed to my wife. Many of the postcards were very close to the way I had described them (many were not) My wife said that at least that part fit, but then we were reading some articles describing the lake and things that had occurred there. It then said that Electric Park had burned to the ground in 1925. I was born in 1931. I have never believed in Reincarnation. No thats not quite true, I just never cared enough to worry about it one way or the other. If, this was a previous life, then I have another memory of drowning in that life. I know where and how, but in truth I am not anxious to confirm or unconfirm what could be the date of my death previously. It was when I was 4 or 5 in California at a motel on a mountain road to Santa Cruz from San Francisco. I believe it could be checked out. Truth of the matter is, this story disturbs me far morew than it impresses anyone else How it changed my life:Just shock at the realization that I may have full memory of a previous life.
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