Ghosting
The October writing assignment for the members of the Safety Harbor Writers Circle was : “What if you were a ghost? Who or what would you haunt? Would you be a ghost in the present or haunt a moment in the past? Would you communicate with the living? How?”
Ghosting
I recall when my son was young one morning he said to me, “I was riding a cloud in my sleep and from my cloud I could look down on everyone including you and mom. I said, “Hello mom. Hello dad. Hello trees. Hello ocean.” He was just delighted to be able to ride the clouds and observe everyone and everything. There was no hint of judgment or fear in his voice. He was merely reporting his fun journey.
Sometimes, as adults, we forget to ride the clouds and just observe without judgment. We forget to be delighted in the wonder of all that Is and all that could be.
When I thought of being a ghost I thought of riding the clouds. Perhaps If I ride on a really high cloud I could jump up to another planet and observe much as astronauts have done. The earth is just a spec in the vastness of the universe(s). Humans are just another spec who live for a very brief time. Perhaps I would follow the example of my young son, “Hello chickens. Hello goats. Hello Fran, James and Susie. Hello Sam, Austin and Toni. Hello cows and horses and elephants and dogs and cats and…. Would you like a cup of tea, some extra hay or perhaps a comfortable place to lie your head? Here let me help you off with that jacket. Those arthritic hands make that task very difficult. A backrub? Coming right up.”
Perhaps I will make a light show by swinging from the chandelier. “Oh, don’t be frightened.” “Here let me tickle your feet. Oh you can still giggle.”
“Shall I make myself visible? I think not. A little mystery is good for the soul. Here, those pillows are perfect for a pillow fight.”
“Need a little stardust in your hair. Goes well with that three piece business suit don’t you think.”
I bet if you closed your eyes you could conjure up a friendly ghost who would remind you to be joyful and playful. Perhaps the inner ghost lives within all of us. It is eternal, free of all the constraints of the rules of good behavior.
Oh, I know what I will do. I will call a summit of all the world leaders, put them in a room together, snap my finger and whisk the room up to the clouds. Then they would have to see all the consequences of their behavior. First I think I will put them to sleep for a bit so that I can give them the costume de jour based on their behavior. This is fun. Shall we shave the head of the French president, tattoo the head of the United States president and…. A little makeup anyone. Bless their hearts. They will indeed have no clothes. Yikes!
I do rather think that living humans could learn a thing or two from we ghosts. It is a sad fact that often only after we die do we play as freely as little children, greet the world with pure delight, cry when we are hungry or need to be fed and swing to our heart’s content.
My Jove I think we got it. The ghost lives. Let’s go play!
Written October 8, 2019
Jimmy F. Pickett
coachpickett.org
599 words
The October writing assignment for the members of the Safety Harbor Writers Circle was : “What if you were a ghost? Who or what would you haunt? Would you be a ghost in the present or haunt a moment in the past? Would you communicate with the living? How?”
Ghosting
I recall when my son was young one morning he said to me, “I was riding a cloud in my sleep and from my cloud I could look down on everyone including you and mom. I said, “Hello mom. Hello dad. Hello trees. Hello ocean.” He was just delighted to be able to ride the clouds and observe everyone and everything. There was no hint of judgment or fear in his voice. He was merely reporting his fun journey.
Sometimes, as adults, we forget to ride the clouds and just observe without judgment. We forget to be delighted in the wonder of all that Is and all that could be.
When I thought of being a ghost I thought of riding the clouds. Perhaps If I ride on a really high cloud I could jump up to another planet and observe much as astronauts have done. The earth is just a spec in the vastness of the universe(s). Humans are just another spec who live for a very brief time. Perhaps I would follow the example of my young son, “Hello chickens. Hello goats. Hello Fran, James and Susie. Hello Sam, Austin and Toni. Hello cows and horses and elephants and dogs and cats and…. Would you like a cup of tea, some extra hay or perhaps a comfortable place to lie your head? Here let me help you off with that jacket. Those arthritic hands make that task very difficult. A backrub? Coming right up.”
Perhaps I will make a light show by swinging from the chandelier. “Oh, don’t be frightened.” “Here let me tickle your feet. Oh you can still giggle.”
“Shall I make myself visible? I think not. A little mystery is good for the soul. Here, those pillows are perfect for a pillow fight.”
“Need a little stardust in your hair. Goes well with that three piece business suit don’t you think.”
I bet if you closed your eyes you could conjure up a friendly ghost who would remind you to be joyful and playful. Perhaps the inner ghost lives within all of us. It is eternal, free of all the constraints of the rules of good behavior.
Oh, I know what I will do. I will call a summit of all the world leaders, put them in a room together, snap my finger and whisk the room up to the clouds. Then they would have to see all the consequences of their behavior. First I think I will put them to sleep for a bit so that I can give them the costume de jour based on their behavior. This is fun. Shall we shave the head of the French president, tattoo the head of the United States president and…. A little makeup anyone. Bless their hearts. They will indeed have no clothes. Yikes!
I do rather think that living humans could learn a thing or two from we ghosts. It is a sad fact that often only after we die do we play as freely as little children, greet the world with pure delight, cry when we are hungry or need to be fed and swing to our heart’s content.
My Jove I think we got it. The ghost lives. Let’s go play!
Written October 8, 2019
Jimmy F. Pickett
coachpickett.org
599 words
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