The Halloween Post

I can say little about Halloween in China. Most Chinese have never heard of it. Most Chinese don't even believe in Ghosts. When I asked my Freshman class (fifty-three girls, one guy) if any of them believed ghosts exist, fifty-three gave a resounding no and one brave little girl in the fifth row said yes. I, like Jerry Garcia, am more intrigued by the one girl that said yes than I am the fifty-three that said no. Anyone brave enough to stand out in a group orientated culture is usually very set in her beliefs. But I'll save that conversation for another day, because shortly thereafter the bell rang and I had to move on to another class.

I don't know how you feel on the subject, but I think ghosts exists. I also believe, and this will probably ruffle some feathers, it's a requirement for anyone who claims to hold the big C nomenclature. The N.T. is rife with demons and supernatural, and to claim their nonexistence is dangerous; because then you have to concoct an incredible post-modern explanation to justify an opinion that contradicts the very essence of the canonical works on which base your beliefs (that essence being that there is something beyond this world). At the very most you can actively ignore the issue, but you can't really deny it. You can try, but the result would probably be more comical than serious.

Some sailors were in boat and they saw a man walking on water, and they were scared. Why were they scared? Because they thought they saw a ghost.

J.C. shows up in a room of crowded people without coming through the door. The people in the room are startled because, well, they thought they were seeing a ghost. And his response? "How can I be a ghost? A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones!" This would have been a prime opportunity to squash all belief in something that doesn't exist, but instead he says "This is difference between me and a spirit." He did more to justify their existence than he did to deny it, and it seems to me that if his followers were so blatantly wrong about something he would correct it, but he didn't. Some food for thought.

I also believe in ghosts, as only nine or ten of my good friends know, because I have seen one myself. During the summer a few years ago, I accompanied my friend on a short trip out to his house; he needed somethings for college, and it was summer and I had nothing better to do. It was a Sunday night and the two of us were alone in the house, just talking in the kitchen. He needed to use the restroom and, being that the only bathroom was on the second floor, left me in the kitchen eating twisty cheeze-its. Now at this time, I was facing a doorframe that led into a living room which had an entrance way into the family room. Two minutes after he left, I glanced up to see, via the entrance way, the tail end of something walking across the family room. I started to say "Well that was qui..."

And then the toilet flushed.

We were stark alone this house, my friend is not one to play pranks, and this way no shadow. I told my friend and he informed me of half a dozen instances in the house that he could never explain. And well, it all makes out for a good story. Of course, it's not good to focus on these things too much, but it's Halloween and I'm in the spirit.

I think Haley and I will be having a two person Halloween party tonight. It's good to get away from all Chinese influences and have American time. Plus I don't think my students would understand the concept of a costume party. As far as costumes go, I think Haley will be dressing up like a Chinese student, and I, much to the delight of my mother, will be dressing up like Hugh Hefner. Hey, it's all I have.

"I'll see you in the morning if nothing happens."