I don’t believe in ghosts but I have been running from them all my life.
The above is often attributed to Edgar Allen Poe. Even if there is some question as to whether or not he was the quote’s originator, it sure sounds like something he would say, so let’s leave it as one of his. (click here.)
The quote made me think of something that one of my friends once told me when I asked her about closing the Store late at night. She said “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I don’t spend any more time back there than I have to when I’m closing up.”
The “back there” is the old bathroom area of the Store. I had been told by another person working in the Store that when she closed up and made her rounds in that area of the Store, she felt like someone was back there watching her. I told her that I would check with the other folks and sure enough, they too confirmed being uncomfortable in that area.
For sometime now, I have been working back in that area of the Store and occasionally do get a feeling or two but it doesn’t feel ghostly to me. Remember I grew up in the Store and the area I am working in used to be where we had an old stairwell. I’m thinking that when I get a weird vibe there it might just have something to do with a long ago memory of falling down those stairs haunting me.
The other semi-ghost sighting in Buzzy’s under my watch has to do with his photo hanging on the chimney. A couple of ladies who have been coming into the Store for a very long time have told me about having their hair touched or flipped when standing in front of Buzzy’s photo on the chimney. That hasn’t happened in awhile however. Either Buzzy has moved on or he took a sexual harrassment class on not touching women’s hair.
Another photo-related incident however, occurred one day when two ladies, whom I did not know, came into the Store. As one approached the counter, the other one stopped to look at the Buzzy photo. She asked me “Who is this person.” When I told her “My Dad” she simply said “Oh my” turned and left in a hurry. When I asked her friend, who was still at the counter “What was that all about” she said “I will go check.”
She left the Store and returned a few minutes later to inform me “My friend is psychic and does this sort of thing all the time. She said she saw your Father standing next to his photo.” I told her “Well, tell your friend to come back in here because I got some things I want to talk to him about.”
Since Halloween conjures up all sorts of focus on ghosts, demons and witches check out this from one of my favorite XM DJ’s Julie Mason on her show yesterday. She conducted an interview on the various Ghosts of New Orleans. To listen to that 12 minute segment click the following: https://www.siriusxm.com/clips/social/embed/clip/65cfb29a-195e-4b44-91fb-9e855ad51e03/701e3cd2-e9cb-4cae-9687-9b983076db99
Note that Buzzy’s will be closed on Halloween Monday which is also Ned Pratt’s birthday. We will celebrate Ned’s big day (hint it has a 0 in it) on Sunday afternoon. Plan on swinging by and drinking one on Ned. Who knows maybe a ghost or two will also drop in. I’ll leave you with a lame ghost pun: Why do ghosts like crashing Halloween parties? They come for the Boo’s.