Photo: barrynow2008

This is #21 of 108 Ways to Livin the Moment. Let’s take back our lives one beautiful, funny and delicious moment at a time.

#21 of 108: Be Kind to Your Ghosts

“What are ghosts, if not the hope that love continues beyond our ordinary senses? If ghosts are a delusion, then let me be deluded.”  

~ Amy Tan

According to a USA Today poll, 34% of Americans believe in ghosts. If you are one of those 34%, let’s get the party on!

The most common way to identify the proximity of a ghost is a sudden change in temperature (internally or externally), causing you to get the chills, goosebumps or as Jennifer Lopez called them on American Idol (yes I still watch): “Goosies.”

The symphony orchestra is one of the most common places people report getting the chills.

According to LiveScience, there are three particular instances when people get the chills during a symphony, each offering a lesson about ghosts.

When Two Singers Have Contrasting Voices

Photo: Knight Foundation

Ghosts love chaos and contrast. Why? They can hang out with little chance that you will sense their presence.

Next time the kids are screaming and your spouse is pissed and there’s a mess on the floor, beware…

When a Symphony Turns from Loud to Quiet

Have you ever been at a noisy restaurant and there’s a strange instant, when everyone gets quiet? Hmmmm…

Upon Entry of a Solo Voice or Instrument

Be aware of a unique sensory experience (usually a sound or smell). Scent has a way of transcending time, space…and dimension.

*****

If you’re still with me…once you sense the proximity of a ghost, it’s super courteous to acknowledge their existence, out loud. How they communicate with you from that point forward is between you and the ghost.

Just sayin…of the 34% who believe in ghosts, less than one percent have the wherewithal to open a line of communication.

So next time the lights flicker or you get the chills…or you smell a rosy fragrance out of the blue, say something.

If there’s any chance it’s your grandparent or an old friend paying you a visit, the least you could do is show some common decency. As novelist AS Byatt said, “It is good for a person to invite his ghosts into his warm interior, out of the wild night, into the firelight, out of the howling dark.”

Stressed, worried, anxious? Take a moment to celebrate now!

Let’s start the journey toward the big victory by winning the little ones and taking back the moments that constitute our annoying mornings, dreary afternoons, and sleepless nights.

My new book will feature 108 suggestions for creating SIMPLE moments of joy, passion, laughter, deliciousness, and naughty delights.

Even if it’s just one, single moment of celebration in your day, that’s where the change begins!

I hope to inspire you to become what I call a Momenteer.

To find out how you can become a Momenteer, email [email protected] write Momenteer! in the subject.

 ~

Editor: Bryonie Wise

Like elephant culture on Facebook.