Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Not Really a Spectator Sport

A while ago we did an investigation at a private residence on Capitol Hill. A "subtle" haunting. Shadows, an apparition of a little girl, not active at all. We go in for the prelim, and it's as if the owner's decided to throw a get-together: "Hey, come see the ghosthunters!" Um, OK, I'd understand one person to watch your back just in case, but a party? We did our work anyway, because after all, what else could we do? The biggest problem came when it was time to do an EVP. Super-sensitive flat miked analog setup, as well as a digital recorder. For the most part, everyone stayed downstairs, but once we listened to those EVP's playback you would've thought they were right there upstairs with us. Horrible quality because all the noise just went right upstairs.

I'm just not too big on there being extra people present besides the principals.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

National Park Service

Living in the D.C. area, almost everywhere is a historical site, which is often maintained by the National Park Service.

Historical sites and ghosts seem to go hand-in-hand between the familiarity of it with their often unchanged, restored interiors and exteriors, and the long history of the site itself. As the NPS maintains many sites such as Hampton Mansion in Townson, MD and the Old Stone House in Georgetown, they do not have a stance on the hauntings and ghosts within them. As their public affairs rep once told me: "It's not considered scientific, so I suppose it is that we don't believe in them. I got a blank look when I asked that question. I suppose we don't have one!" I think it has a lot to do with it being a government entity. Anyone have any insight into this?

Monday, August 15, 2005

9 to 5

Oh, hey, jerk-a** Post photographer? There's a reason my colleague asked not to have her photo taken and put in the paper that time, OK? If she didn't give you her last name, what made you think she wanted her face published?

Most ghosthunters have full-time jobs. Some of us, like me, don't care if our jobs know because it's OK. In my case, you can Google me and my ghosthunting history runs long, so I'm already screwed that way, lol. As for some other ghosthunters I know, they don't want to be on camera, use their last names or for their jobs to know at all because their jobs do care. I'm all for that because when it really comes down to it, ghosthunting doesn't pay and that 9 to 5 does.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Kids Aren't Stupid, You Know...

Recently, I attended a birthday party for a friend. Other guests knew I was a ghosthunter and it was no big deal. One of the other guest's daughter's was a bright 12-year old who asked me (when I was talking about a location) if there were ghosts there. Without missing a beat I said, "Yes. There were." She just said "Wow" and her mother's face blanched slightly. And that was that. I wondered for a minute afterwards if I should've thought about it before telling her that, but I think that the girl appreciated my being truthful with her. What was I going to do? Lie? I didn't want to do that.

Years ago I did a lecture on haunted D.C. and ghosts and a co-worker brought her 10-year old son, who told me afterwards how much he enjoyed it. I really enjoyed hearing that. A lot of times, kids are the main ones having interactions with ghosts and their genuine feelings and concerns are dismissed or disregarded by the adults in their lives. Kids and teens like to know that they aren't seeing things too, much in the same way that adults do. I've had so many parents express to me the experiences their children have had and sometimes they--like their kids--need that reassurance too. That whole "You/they are not crazy" thing.

I know parents want to shield and protect their kids. That's absolutely understandable. I would too. Sometimes, though, they can take more than you think they can.