Sunday, July 26, 2009

Guest Blogger: Cindy Carroll

The winner of Cindy's prize is: Sandy J! Congrats, Sandy! Send me your contact info and I'll pass it along to Cindy. Thanks to everyone who participated.


They’ll be back

Ghosts. They seem to be everywhere these days. Just check out the internet to see how many cities have haunted tours or ghost walks. Or check out TV to see the shows about ghosts and ghost hunting. I’m not talking just Ghost Whisperer either. There are a number of shows out there about tracking ghosts – America’s Most Haunted Inns. America’s Most Haunted Towns, Creepy Canada, Celebrity Paranormal Project. And don’t forget the movies. Movies about ghosts are popular whether they’re scary (GHOST STORY) or funny (GHOST TOWN).

But have you ever wondered if a ghost chose to haunt a certain place? From books, movies and television we think we “know” why ghosts come into being and why they haunt wherever it is they’re haunting. Violent death, unfinished business. But what if we got it wrong? Maybe they didn’t die some horrible death at the ranch that forced them to roam the stables looking for justice. What if they wanted to remain here? Maybe the ranch was the only place they were happy so in their afterlife they wanted to stay there. Have you ever said, “If anything happens to me I’m going haunt you”? I know I’ve said it on more than one occasion. And my friend says it me all the time. What if it were that easy? They just decided to come back and hang out for a while longer.

There has to be some sort of order to the afterlife. Maybe the ranch was a promotion. What if they did such a great job haunting their original place that they got promoted to a place of their choosing? Could they also get demoted? They were haunting a mansion but didn’t scare enough people so they end up having to haunt an outhouse.

We had a ghost when I was growing up. I have no idea who she was or what happened to her. But I always wondered why she was haunting our house. And why the adults could never hear her. Just my friends and I could hear her. We never saw her either. But we heard her typing at night when no one else was home. And we could hear her walk past our bedroom doors when no one else was there. She talked to my boyfriend once when he picked up the phone to call his mother. And two of my friends had a whole conversation with her thinking it was me. They were in the kitchen and they thought I was in the living room. I wondered why she didn’t follow us when we moved. The house felt different somehow. Maybe she was just lonely. The family that moved into the place after we left had three teenage daughters.

Whatever the reasons for ghosts haunting us, they’re not going away any time soon. Books, movies and TV will continue to bring us tales of ghosts, spirits and poltergeists and I for one am looking forward to them. Maybe I’ll even get a visit from a ghost wanting to make friends.

www.cindycarroll.com
www.proseriesalumni.com
www.scriptscene.org - Go ahead. Make a scene.

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Cindy will give away her complete 8 lesson workshop Is That Hollywood Calling? (with the extras) to one commenter. The winner will be selected and posted on Tuesday evening. Stop back by to see if you've won.

12 Comments:

Blogger Lynda Hilburn said...

Welcome, Cindy! I love talking about ghosts. My childhood and teen years were full of them. After I stopped being excited about them as I got older, I saw fewer of them. Maybe I'll invite them back . . .
Lynda

5:37 PM  
Blogger Margay Leah Justice said...

Cindy, I lived in a couple of houses, growing up, that had ghosts in them and I often feel the presence of my brother and my father in the apartment where I presently live (I was not living there when either one of them died). I agree that there has to be some sort of reason for them to linger, but I don't think it is always linked with tragedy. I think sometimes they just stick around to make sure we're okay, that we're protected, that we never forget how much we loved them and they loved us. I don't think that love dies with the body - I think it lives in the spirit.
Margay

6:09 PM  
Blogger Meg Leigh said...

I love talking about ghosts. The spooky stories are fun, but I also like ghost stories that have a moral or something to them, they can be extremely interesting. I've never seen a ghost, but I have sensed the presence of loved ones who have died and I find that more comforting than scary.

9:51 AM  
Anonymous Sandy J said...

What an interesting thought. We had a lady in a red nightgown that haunted our home. Only my youngest son and my mother saw her, but occasionally I would 'feel' her and 'hear' her talking at night right before I fell asleep. I'd wake up fully and not hear anything. She didn't move with us either.

10:21 AM  
Anonymous CHScarlett said...

I think it's great that we are seeing all these Paranormal Phenomenons,etc on TV. I think its slowly opening people's mind so that they are not so afraid of what goes bump in the shadows. The more open we are, then maybe, possibly, we can get to the bottom of the other side. I often tell people that we are like Columbus --finally discovering a whole new world. Personally I find it very exciting. Great post.

10:22 AM  
Blogger Marilynn Byerly said...

Ghosts certainly seem part of the zeitgeist of current times. Perhaps, we are seeking spirit when reality is too hard upon us.

Today, the local paper has a feature on a haunted mansion in a neighboring town, and it's not even Halloween.

In the immortal words of Casper, "Boooo!"

12:06 PM  
Anonymous Victoria Roder said...

Hi Cindy,
Enjoyed your post and views on ghosts. I'm going to Eastern State Penn this year for a little ghost hunt.

Vicki

5:11 PM  
Blogger tatt3r said...

I lived with ghosts when I was young - they walked outside my bedroom at night. I grew up afraid of the dark and spent many sleepless nights. I was relieved they didn't follow us when we moved, it proved it wasn't simply my imagination.

6:04 PM  
Anonymous Cindy said...

Thanks for having me, Lynda. I love talking paranormal stuff.

Margay, I think they stick around to make sure we're protected sometimes too. I used to think my favourite uncle stuck around to watch over us.

Hi Meg. It can be very comforting. I never saw our ghost either. Wish I had.

Sandy, I wish I could have seen ours. She used to call my name in the middle of the night and wake me up out of a sound sleep. When I woke up nothing was there either.

CHScarlett, I agree it opens people's minds. I like that thought of discovering a whole new world.

Marilynn, if they have a piece on that now I can just imagine what they do at Halloween. Do they have haunted tours where you are?

Victoria, I'd love to go on a ghost hunt. There are a few meetup groups for that sort of stuff. I might have to join one.

tatt3r, it's a shame they scared you. I found I actually missed our ghost when we moved. She felt like a friend.

7:11 PM  
Anonymous Arlene OConnor said...

Since I was a child I've been fascinated with all stories of the supernatural, but ghost stories were always my favorite. It didn't matter if they were scary, funny, or sad. My mother never understood it.

All the women in my family seem to be sensitive to knowing that there's someone around that isn't physically present. Most of the stories I was told had to do with dead relations coming to visit and give last parting words. I suppose any therapist would chalk that up to the stages of grief.

I've had a few encounters with those departed over my short life. Some have been pleasant and with ease, some have been down right terrifying. For 4 years I lived in a boarding house that was directly between a funeral home and a psychic center, and I used to joke about all the traffic that passed through the halls.

Just like the living, I think those who pass have connections to places, times and people that are too hard to simply let go of. I think that like all things in life, that when they are ready to let go and move on (to wherever or however), then they simply fade.

Arlene (new to Paranormality but definitely going to hang around).

7:02 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

A ghost chose to haunt a certain place my God i will die!!!
Carol
Are you scared to be alone at home need security

5:29 AM  
Blogger marylou anderson said...

THe spooks around us...I just wish I could figure why they pester me...and some more than others. Some ghostss are more interesting than others; and some show up at the darnedest times.
zlotd of times I can't figure out if they are real people or... well..not real...I believe some ghosts hangaround in places they knew best around people they knew and loved in life; and others are still here because they have not learned to move on OR because they have not been invited to move on.

marylou anderson

9:55 AM  

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