Some Things are Better Buried...

Another long week is drawing to an end and is heading into a bit of a busy weekend. Finally, my library talk on Australian ghost stories and legends went off without too many hitches on Tuesday. I did enjoy the experience and everyone seemed to enjoy both the presentation and prizes, yet for many reasons I'm just glad I can toss everything back in a box and forget about it.

Now that's not to say I suddenly dislike Australia or have anything against the country. That's certainly not the case. But after a few events earlier this year, the last thing I wanted to do was reflect more on my trip and dust off my box of brochures from my various adventures. I guess you could say there were some bittersweet experience in the months following my big trip. Those fun trust issues I can have from time to time were brought forth in the most severe way yet. I would even hazard to say that the events of this year have permanently altered me. Whether it's for the worse or better is still up in the air.

Normally, I'm a very lax person when it comes to getting over petty disagreements or situations, but there are always exceptions to the rule. I'm not one to hold a permanent grudge on most matters and I've gotten over a good many things over the years (and amazed some friends and exes at how forgiving I can be sometimes). That doesn't mean I always make nice, though. Sometimes, a string of events, behaviors, and issues connect into one big ball of bile that taints something so strongly that you have to either lock it all in some trunk to be shoved between empty rafters in the far recesses of the subconscious... or let it make you bitter.

Bitterness can be a tough thing to shake, but I prefer blocking things out over becoming a grumpy old man.

A lot of people who know and have met me have realized I can appear tranquil on the surface while there's a hurricane going on inside me. I can smile and be friendly with just about anyone—even if I can't stand them—and at other times, that extreme shyness I've battled most of my life can downright paralyze me (yes, even lead me to have a cocktail too many in a social situation to calm my nerves, which usually leads to even more shyness since I don't want to sound like an idiot by opening my mouth with liquor in my system). I can be a very complicated and hard-to-understand individual. And with that, there are plenty of faults which come with the territory. But I do believe in giving people benefit of a doubt. I also have come to expect the same in return; it just doesn't always work out like that.

There's a quote that I love, often attributed to Einstein, which seems to pinpoint the source of so much of my disappointment and bad experiences: “Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not yet completely sure about the universe.” Sometimes, this stupidity can be downright hilarious. At other times, though, it can be the source of anger, frustration, sadness, or any one of a number of negative emotions. Too often lately, it's been the latter instead of the former. I have to work on bringing the balance back in favor of laughing at all things stupid instead of wishing it were some terminal illness.

In a lot of ways, my inner turmoil has been one of my biggest writing blocks this year. In previous years, being busy with adventure has kept me from getting much written. Having an emotional battle raging through my mind and body might be vastly different, but it produces the same effect. Hopefully, I'll tackle some of this baggage and depression and get things sorted out in time to start some new projects. One thing we can't change is the past; but we can stop looking over our shoulder and focus more on the journey ahead. At this pinnacle in time, I honestly can't say where the next ten years of my life will take me or even where I'll be at the end of it. Hopefully, there will be some more interesting books and projects woven in with the madness. I have ideas in my head and a few good people I consider friends still in my life. Hopefully I'll bring those back to the foreground soon, get back to actively writing more, and start back at making my life an eye-opening, awe-inspiring experience instead of something to cringe at.

No Bones About It...

Almost every regular person is afraid of something. Spiders or growing old, abandonment or the dark. They range from the rational to the irrational. Some fears can be life saving while others hinder living a normal life. Yet it's something that makes us unique individuals.

You could say that I have a certain level of phasmophobia (fear of ghosts). I've been startled on more than one occasion during an investigation by something I cannot explain as 'of our natural known world.' That doesn't mean I haven't been terrified by mundane, comical reality though. A bat, boom of thunder, or a cat in the right circumstances have all made me jump. Then of course, there are some of you who are quite aware of my fear of heights (batophobia) and bridges (gephyrophobia) which has had some hilarious results.

I've heard that the best way to conquer fears is to face them. For the most part, I have, be it investigating haunted places, crossing high bridges in major cities, or looking out windows from skyscrapers. Yet there's one fear I've had since childhood (which, interestingly enough, is not a named phobia) which I have avoided at all costs... until now.

Skeletons.

In my early years, I experienced a recurring nightmare. I was in a narrow alley, with brick walls on three sides. On the fourth side, blocking my only means of escape, was a gang of several animated, grim, menacing skeletons slowly closing me into a corner before I woke up in a panic. Cartoon skeletons or illustrations don't bother me. It's the real (or at least life-like) skulls and skeletons that give me the creeps. Technically, this should be called "osteophobia" (quite literally 'fear of bones'), but the closest category for it is necrophobia: fear of death and dead things.

It sounds absurd, I know. They're inside all of us, so you would think something as common as a skeleton (while normally covered with flesh) wouldn't be such a big deal. But for me, it can be. But now, I get a chance to face this fear daily. In my effort to gather creepy, odd, and supernatural artifacts I now have a child-sized resin skull sitting on my bookcase.

To be honest, just glancing over at it is a bit unnerving at times. Even though it's not real, I can't bring myself to face those empty eye sockets in my general direction. I'm sure that in time, it will desensitize me enough that I won't be as uncomfortable in the presence of bones. It reminds me of a conversation from the movie Clue between Professor Plum and Mrs. Peacock.

"What are you afraid of? A fate worse than death?"
"No, just death. Isn't that enough?"

What is it about our immortality that is so frightening? Death is inevitable; no one can escape it. Yet it scares us and can become an obsession. Skulls are undoubtedly the strongest symbol of our limited life span. To gaze at a skull is to face your fate. If we know it's coming, why is the knowledge unbearable for many of us? Perhaps the answer is the unknown aspect. Is it a new beginning, the door to an afterlife, or just lights out? Yet the skull will not answer the question...

Closed to Interpretation...

We are strange creatures, human beings. Look at any animal on the planet and you see logical behavior: cause and effect. Yet people are perplexing. We murder for pleasure, cheat and steal for unnecessary objects, and behave in irrational unnatural ways. Simply put, we make no sense.

I was reminded today of my own enigmatic and often-misunderstood tendencies. Communication, as we learn in college, is a difficult process. It is impossible to convey the exact message intended to any recipient. While we can get very close to the intended message, there never is perfect communication. More often than not, it fails miserably. Often, my own skills (or lack thereof) can cause what I say and do to be interpreted in a negative sense. That leaves the last lesson of communication: it can never be un-communicated. Done is done. Gone is gone.

No one can open up a brain and see exactly what was meant or even look to see how things are received. We have to ask, to guess, and hope the intended message was transmitted. Sometimes, we're lucky and things send almost as they were intended. At other times, it has the opposite effect. But it's not just that. We have inside jokes, manner of delivery, and physical behaviors to contend with. All these things can translate into total disaster.

More often than not, I'm a complete failure with communication. That's not to say I'm intentionally rude, arrogant, ungrateful, or any one of a number of bad qualities any person can possess. Still, we're all guilty of either appearing these ways or even being that way from time to time. Error and mishap are very real human qualities. Certainly, I've never labeled myself as a saint. A puzzle, yes, but someone without flaw, never. Still, we can't change a first impression. We can't turn back clocks and say, "No, no, what I meant to say was..." or "Even though this is what you saw, this is the reality."

Perception is everything. In just a short time, we can cause irreparable damage without being aware of the full effects. Sometimes, it's foreshadowed either with some degree of awareness in change. At other times, it comes out of the blue... or at least we don't understand the full effects until the shockwave from the blast slams us to the floor. You can't make a bomb disappear after it's been detonated. You're there standing amid the fallout.

In many ways, I am a seriously flawed human being. It's days like these that remind me of just how flawed I am. And so I sit among the ruins, wishing for a DeLorean equipped with a flux capacitor and a message for the past self. Yet no amount of hoping will make that happen. In the end, really all we can do is change the future. The past... well, it's the past. Only in the future can we hope make amends and change for the better to prevent ourselves from becoming our own worst enemies.

The Ghost of 2010...

The Christmas holiday season has once more come to an end as another year slowly fades away. Following the excitement-filled trip earlier this month, my actual holiday was extremely subdued. In Victorian times, Christmas (not Halloween) was a time to tell ghost stories. While I did pass some of the 25th reading about haunted places, there was a larger shadow looming over the day. The ghost of 2010.

Everyone is haunted. It may not be my a specter making its presence known in your house or workplace, or even a chance encounter somewhere in the world. It's the memories of what we have and haven't done which can keep us awake at night or bring a smile to our faces seemingly for no reason at all. For me 2010 was yet another tumultuous year or changes, experiences, and chances. I've looked out across the Pacific from both sides. I've pushed myself to achieve and let fear come in the way of new possibilities. I set out to fulfill a few dreams and didn't let anything stop me. And I've closed a few doors that were necessary for my own well-being. It's hard to fathom everything that has happened. In the past two years I've felt more alive than I allowed myself to be for quite some time.

As always, there are some regrets. A life lived without any regret is nearly impossible. Everything we do requires making decisions and choosing one path over another. Unless we settle into a mundane, constant routine without wavering even the slightest bit life is a journey not an observation. The more we forge ahead and blaze new trails, the more frightening and uncertain it becomes. I made a decision that my life should be an exploration fraught with challenges and new experiences. Not every one has been pleasant but I wouldn't change my decisions for the world. It's an indescribable feeling to be in a situation you've played out in thoughts and imagination many times and think, "Wait a minute. This is really happening. Wow."

Already, 2011 is going to be another year of continued growth and adventure. In just a few more weeks I'm starting back at my old university, finally taking steps toward a degree I've postponed for so many years now. And in my mind I have tentative travel plans to a few selected places, some of which will hopefully happen. Travel is one of my biggest driving forces in life. It's not enough to sit back and read about the world. I want to engulf my senses in foreign lands, dine with the natives, and absorb everything imaginable. Even with the paranormal I need to see, feel, and hear the sounds of those places that for so long have been notes scribbled on paper or flat photographs on a screen.

If I have one wish for 2011 it's that more people do the same. Yes, these are uncertain times for many of us. Life can become a challenge just living day to day. But nothing is impossible. With enough desire and creative calculations, all of us can make small steps at making our lives exactly what we want them to be. Dreams aren't just silly thoughts to be cast aside or ground out by harsh realities. They are points on a map that require careful navigations. No ambition is too silly or absurd. Often the biggest obstacle for us is believing others when they tell us our dreams are impossible, stupid, or unrealistic. Doubt is a powerful force. And too often it leads to stagnation and forfeiture.

We can learn a lot about life from the lives of those who passed away and perhaps even haunt the buildings and houses in your neighborhood. Great things have been accomplished by people we've never even heard of. Not every ghost story is a lamentable tale of regret or self-imprisonment. Some spirits have lived more than we could ever imagine. Don't allow the dead to have more life than you. Remember that where you are is only the smallest speck on a huge sphere whirling around at 600 mph. There's so much life out there, so much to interact with. Don't wait for life to come to you. It's all around, waiting for you to take notice.

Looking Back at My Australian Adventure...

Australia definitely didn't disappoint me when it comes to the paranormal. Although I didn't set out to make my trip all about dead people, I did find a little time to seek out the bizarre, the otherworldly, and the creepy in the land far away. But first, a word on jet lag. I haven't traveled across this many time zones in a decade, and even then it was only a five-hour difference. This time, it was 14 hours. After a whole five days back in the states I still can't get myself sleeping normally again. My mind is awash with thoughts, memories, and reflections on the two weeks on the other side of the world. And no amount of caffeine can get me feeling human (and alive) quite yet.

Still, I plod on. And there are so many wondrous things to tell about Australia. For those of you who wonder, no I didn't meet Oprah nor did I even cross paths with her entourage. Thankfully. That's no disrespect for her or her audience. But the experiences I had were vastly different from the McCafe-drinking, Outback-hiking, "G'day mate" schlock tossed around in a tourist-driven tour. This was the "choose your own adventure and get lost several times in the process" type of travel that I've grown to love. It's being out of your element and often a bit fearful of what could happen. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the reality of a city, far from the tourist maps and beaten path, can be the best way to see a place for the first time. There's not much room for illusions and false pretenses. It's not wandering around the rim of the volcano, it's diving in head first and hoping you aren't burnt to a crisp.

Sydney was my first stop and where I wearily landed on the first day of December. It is the wettest December in 20 years. Seeing my friend Joel waiting at the airport did improve my mood but there wasn't much time to waste. The journey was on after a long bus ride to the hostel. Rain or shine, when you only have a few days in a city you have to make the best of it. We did quickly realize that there wasn't any feasible way to see everything on my list in three days, but I did get a good taste of the city. And I can mark another item off my Bucket List: walking across Sydney Harbour Bridge. And it turned out to be a beautiful day for it too! Still, Sydney did leave a mark on me. The sun is a lot stronger there than I'm used to so on the ferry to Manly I developed a rather nasty sunburn that peeled off during the remainder of my stay. Somewhere in Sydney, there's still part of me floating around undoubtedly.

Another day went by picking up Joel's car, stopping by a few out-of-the-way spots including Campbelltown (home of the Fisher's Ghost Festival), visiting the lovely Sam and Deb for lunch in Wollongong, and a treacherous foggy drive to the capital Canberra. Another three days went by quickly visiting the sights and museums and staying with Joel and his boyfriend Brett. I want to thank both of them for their gracious hospitality and good company. I'm forever in their debt for everything. I met even more fascinating people during those days and learned about a few tragedies from the past. A very helpful staff member at a museum even took the time to give me a detailed account of all the ghosts and paranormal happenings in and around the building! I'm not even sure if it's mentioned on any ghost tours so I felt quite honored to get a taste of haunted Canberra.

Following that leg of the journey, there was a while day of travel in store. Unfortunately, navigation doesn't always go according to plan. Somehow on our attempt to take the scenic route along the ocean via the Princes Highway, we found ourselves lost in the Snowy Mountains. We passed through part of Kosciuszko National Park (home to the tallest mountain in Australia of the same name) and caught several glimpses of mountain snow still clinging to the highest points of land before getting directions and taking the shortcut toward our destination. This meant taking a terrifying drive on a stone-and-dirt mountain road through the Snowy Mountains for a few hours before returning to civilization. We reached Inverloch at nightfall where we stayed the night before heading to suburban Melbourne the next day. In light of our adventure I felt a day of shopping would be better than more long drives and sightseeing.

Melbourne went by the fastest. I'm not sure if it was the overexposure to ideas, restaurants, places, and people flooding me at the speed of light or the fact that the trip was nearing its end. I met up with the curator of Melbourne Museum (and we exchanged signed books), stopped at the Haunted Bookshop, and saw some remarkable old buildings. Given the tight budget I was on the final leg had its moments. And tensions did run high at times. For anyone who has ever spent two solid weeks with a friend, traveling or not, you know that nothing is ever all sunshine and lollies. Perhaps it was just my own perspective but I felt that toward the end, Joel needed a break from me. I know I needed some solitary time myself and my emotions went rampant a few times along the way from the lack of quiet alone time. But I like to think that there wasn't any permanent damage done to the friendship. Even if things had gone smoothly the entire time, I'd worry. It's just my nature.

I took a bus back to Sydney to give Joel a break from the insane amount of driving he did during the trip. Then it was a matter of catching my three flights back to Cleveland and arriving six hours after leaving Sydney. Hence the jet lag. When you travel for 24 hours and only six hours actually pass, it's natural for your internal clock to pop a few springs. I landed wearily at Hopkins International with a head full of experiences and thoughts as well as luggage filled with souvenirs, pamphlets, and mementos. And a new hat. And a zillion ideas on reviving a novel I started years ago only this time set in Australia. And don't forget the bit of uneasiness about possibly leaving with unresolved emotions between myself and my dearest friend. Not in that way; I mean emotional casualties of too much time in close quarters combined with a frantic, fast-paced sojourn.

Overall, it was an incredible experience. Seeing so much of Australia in two weeks was amazing. Having that time together with Joel did more for me than I ever thought too. And it wasn't exactly how I had imagined it all going. For one, there were fewer iffy moments than I anticipated. And secondly I actually enjoyed meeting his boyfriend! Perhaps that's all I really needed. Seeing Joel in person for a change, having some good and not-so-good moments together, and watching them both interact together to see that yes they both were happy together and life was good. though all that realization did make me feel awkwardly in the way on my final day in Canberra before going to Sydney for my departure. I wanted them to have some time together and felt a bit guilty about Brett's non-involvement in the whole experience. Yes this was to be my first true vacation in as long as I can remember, but the last thing I ever want to do is be "in the way."

I know this all seems like an abridges version of the trip, and it is. But I wanted to give a short version of events and not go in-depth on every day, every moment. It would simply take too much time... not to mention become too dangerously close to being a diary instead of the blog I intended to have. I did see plenty of haunted places but during daytime hours. This was intentional, though. Ghost tours weren't in the budget (not would there have been much time for them) and I wanted to photograph several places in good light. I will be sharing a lot more about the hauntings in the future, though. Australia is still my favorite place in the world. And on March 1, 2011 I'll be giving a presentation at Cuyahoga Falls Library at 7:00 PM regarding many haunted places, famous and obscure, in the land down under. I'll also toss in a few moments from my trip, share a few souvenirs with the audience, and fix some of the misconceptions and stereotypes about Australia. But for now, let's just try to survive the holidays...

The Hidden Heart of Hauntings...

Yikes! I've let a whole week pass by. Well, not intentionally. And not just from gearing up for the trip. I've been doing a lot of research and digging up interesting things. The only problem is they haven't involved Australia or ghosts. Yes, it might be strange to believe but I actually have other less morbid interests. That's one thing I have in mind for my trip as well: balancing spooky places with everything else I want to see. And I think it's necessary. Focusing on dead people and spirits all the time isn't healthy for anyone.

In fact, only a handful of people get into the paranormal for some valiant pursuit to answer the age-old question of what happens after death or to scientifically prove or disprove the existence of what we refer to as ghosts. Many hunt for spirits as a form of adventure and excitement, perhaps even to feel like they're actually in a horror movie, or (as the recent trend goes) as a popularity/status symbol. Though I started out long before it was the "in" thing to do, I figured out what my main motivation was. History.

Ghost stories keep our history alive (both literally and ironically). How many murders would be forgotten by the majority of people were it not for a haunted house? How many sad, fascinating stories would have died out centuries ago without those ghostly legends being passed on from person to person? Yes, there are plenty of tales which are not complete truths, yet even urban legends and iconic ghost stories are based upon a certain amount of fact. Sometimes the paranormal folklore can even lead to unsolved murders or other mysteries. They're a part of nearly every culture on earth. Through the dead, obscure forgotten history lives on.

If there were no true stories, no historical foundation, behind misty human forms and footsteps in abandoned mansions nearly all the appeal would disappear for me. I say "nearly" because well, I do like the bizarre, creepy, and mysterious so obviously it would still pique my curiosity. But I would be like so many other people and treat ghosts as a thrill to have once every Halloween. Ghosts would have all the fascination of a magician's trick. They'd be like thunderstorms; something I love to watch but won't go out of my way to try to find one.

With history, there is always something to be learned. I know plenty of people who treat the past as something to be learned in school from a book then brushed aside, yet it's so much more than that. It can be tangible in the form of artifacts and antiques yet relative to time and place shifting drastically in story as you move from place to place and see it from other people's viewpoints. It's full of amazing achievements and horrible deeds. In many ways, humankind is unchanging through the centuries. People fight wars over beliefs, politicians are corrupt, drama is entertainment, and the rich have power over the commoners. It's astounding that we, as people living in the 21st century, see our lives as so drastically different from past societies, such as ancient Rome. But strip away the gadgets, the clothing, the architecture and look at the people and you'll see a mirror image.

Much of what we know is the past as filtered through propoganda. Just listen to schoolchildren learning about Thanksgiving and you'll see what I mean. Those poor, helpless Pilgrims striving for freedom and good will daring to cross an ocean and harmoniously mingling with Native Americans, it all culminating in a great feast of two different people who lived happily ever after. That's how we'd like to remember it but it isn't the whole truth. And that is often the key with ghost stories. They're renegade historical truths cloaked in the supernatural. They tell us the sides of history we want to keep buried. Pure truth, like a disembodied spirit, terrifies and haunts. We would rather wake up from the nightmare than discover it could be real.

Spooky Talk and Late-Night Wandering...

I remember back in high school those nerve-wrecking days of giving a speech in front of the class. Without fail, a five-minute presentation seemed to use up all of my information within the first three minutes. Now it seems to be the opposite. I'm always hard pressed to condense a lecture into an hour or two. That was certainly true of my talk last night at Cuyahoga Falls Library. Even after skimming through some of the topics the talk stretched over the one hour time. Luckily, both staff and audience members have come to expect this.

I have to thank the library for having me back for a second time to discuss the paranormal. This was very different from my discussion of local hauntings. I covered a very wide range of topics: sexuality and psi phenomena, famous names from the Spiritualist movement, gay and lesbian ghost stories, haunted bed & breakfasts, the basics of investigating, and what is and isn't supernatural phenomena. Each of these could be stretched into a full hour without any trouble so covering all of them in the 60-minute span proved to be a challenge. But I felt it was important to give people a well-rounded experience.

At the end of my talk, there was an interesting moment for me. During the presentation, I showed a photograph of the tombstone of a friend who had committed suicide and mentioned how a possibly ghostly encounter with him afterward is mentioned in the preface of my book. A woman approached me afterward to say that she was familiar with it. Not only did she spend a lot of time in the cemetery in which his body was buried, she had known the family. He is buried beside his father who had been a detective.

Following the presentation, I headed out to the Cuyahoga Valley with a friend of mine for a little impromptu walk along the Towpath Trail at one of the haunted spots in the park. Just a short time after we arrived at the old canal lock I heard footsteps along the trail. There were animals in the water and the nearby woods making all sorts of noises, but this was the distinct rhythmic crunching of gravel slowly approaching. It faded away and there were no living people to be seen. Though it was a cold night, it was peaceful along the trail. My camera battery died quite quickly (not for paranormal reasons; they weren't new batteries) and we spent more time talking about a wide range of topics instead of actually looking for ghosts, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

It's been quite a month already. Some of my travel plans have been postponed but not all of them. There are still a few things I'll be doing before Halloween finally arrives in a few short weeks. Otherwise, life plods on.

The Spookiest Season of All...

October is finally getting underway, which means people are getting in the right mindset for Halloween. This has been a very busy time of me for the past several years but this year I'm trying to finally take some time to enjoy it. When you are involved with the paranormal there isn't too much time to appreciate the holiday. It's very similar to working retail before Christmas. Most people burn out and by the time it arrives they just want it over with. Sadly it can feel the same year after year doing countless events at spooky places, book signings, lectures, ghost hunts, etc. This year I've given myself a lighter load so I can actually step back and enjoy my favorite time of year.

But that's not the only reason. September was tumultuous for me, what with planning out some things and trying to step around the many pitfalls and snags which have plagued me. And now that October is here the cycle is continuing. My stress level is through the roof and with several things I feel like I'm trapped in limbo. It could be worse; I could be exploring the layers of Hell described by Dante. I'll settle for this never-ending waiting room I find myself in. It's as though someone pressed "PAUSE" on my life's remote and time races onward. There is so much to do yet everything is hinging on some other event first. It's the suspense while waiting for a row of dominoes to fall.

And so begins a wild, uncertain month for me. Between the candy corn and occasional event, I will try to update as much as possible. Once some more plans are finalized I'll be letting everyone know the latest on what's happening. This week is the library talk at Cuyahoga Falls Library and I have a few radio show interviews possibly scattered throughout the month. I'm also likely helping out with an event planned by a friend and fellow investigator in the area. I'll inform you all about these things as they progress. As for my end-of-the-year adventures, things are on unstable ground at the moment. I may be changing plans around as time draws closer. However, I remain optimistic that the Australia voyage will happen. A lot could happen in the next two months yet a little stubborn determination can go a long way.

A New Look, New Outlook, and Library Talk...

Yes, you did come to the right blog. I know it might be a surprise for some of you. I did feel the need to do some overhauling on the overall look of Spooked! so I put my insomnia to use last night. So, what do you think? Better? Worse? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know. I know there's an unwritten rule that paranormal-themed blogs should be black, spiritual/psychic blogs all light and airy, etc. but I don't feel like being too traditional is very fitting for my writing. Time to shake things up a bit... and reflect my traveling lifestyle coupled with the "armchair tourist" experience I like to give people every so often.

I'm looking forward to getting out for a little local ghost hunting this week, since it's been so long. And at this rate, it might be one of my last few chances to see the Cuyahoga Valley... where it all began for me. I began my blogging and writing as the first and only investigator searching for legends and ghosts in this region. Now... well, anyone with a camera can dub himself or herself a "paranormal investigator" (becoming an overnight expert from watching a few episodes of Ghost Hunters, no doubt) and heads out into the valley like he/she owns it triumphantly showing it off as though it were a new Porsche.

That might sound like I've grown bitter. But in reality, I haven't. It's like watching a playground as the children claim a jungle gym all their own and fight over who is allowed on it. If anything, it's a relief to be out of the war. All the pettiness, backstabbing, badmouthing, and other high school behavior that plays out all the time. The valley used to be my playground and my place of tranquility. Now, new generations of tenderfoot ghost hunters (though they will tell you they've been doing it "for years") run amok in the places no one would know about were it not for my work and research. So, I'm leaving it all to the paranormal Lord of the Flies people. Save for the occasional reminisce and jaunt with old investigating buddies reliving the good times, I'm turning it over to other people to explore ad nauseam.

But beyond that, I don't see myself staying in this region for a long period. Truthfully, part of me does miss San Diego. For all the unplanned disappointments, it was breathtakingly beautiful in spots, had picture-perfect weather, and was so very different from what I've grown accustomed to in the Rust Belt of America. I thrive on new experiences and wither from the mundane. Yes... there was drama out west. But being new, I could safely escape some of it simply by dropping off the radar. There are possibilities with me ending up out west (in some instances, WAY out west... so west that it's east) but I'm seeing how life plays out.

In just a few weeks, I'll be doing a talk at Cuyahoga Falls Library on my book, gay & lesbian psychics, and some interesting hauntings I've unearthed worldwide. My talk will be on Wednesday October 6th at 7:00 PM EST. I'm trying not to bore people too much with parapsychology and history and will try to focus on hauntings (since that's why people do attend these things, after all). Copies of my book will be available for $10.00 (even cheaper than Amazon). Even if you have read the book, there will be new things to hear about that night. Not only will I talk about some interesting names in paranormal history but I'll talk a lot about haunted gay-owned inns and other hauntings, many of which were NOT discussed in the book. Otherwise, it will be a quiet month for me which is a vast difference from recent years. And all this leading up to my grand travels. Time goes by so quickly.

Life (and Death) Travels on...

As has been the case for a while lately, most of my time has been spent working and sleeping. Mustering the energy to write is not a common occurrence lately, but I tell myself each and every day that it will all be worthwhile soon...

To anyone who has been a reader of this blog, there is no question that I have a variety of interests outside the paranormal realm. Sometimes they overlap. My days of ghost hunting on a regular basis have passed, but I still find a thrill in seeing a new haunted locale or exploring the haunted side of a city or town. And I often have been guilty of making plans inside my head, only for things to fall through and the great ideas never to come to fruition. Because of this I tend to stay quiet on things now until I am sure they will become reality.

Well, a new adventure is looming on my horizon. I have had time to work toward it and discuss it with some people involved in the expedition, so I feel confident now in coming out and saying it. In a few months, I will find myself experiencing summer. Going to the beach, playing tourist (yet in my usual not-so-touristy manner), and exploring a couple haunted spots. How is that possible when December is winter, you ask? Well... it all depends on what hemisphere you're in...

Australia has been a dream destination for me for the past 17 years. I'm a proud "aussiphile" and love the history of the "land down under" and its people. Add to this the fact that one of the most fabulous friends anyone could ever ask for (and someone I've had the pleasure to have know for six years) happens to live in the capital city and there's little confusion why I've chosen for my first true selfish chance at travel, I choose to travel halfway around the globe.

Now, by "selfish" I do mean "a trip done solely because I want to go there. No ulterior motives. No visiting a place because someone else wants me to go there. I've had some remarkably wonderful adventures in various places lately and I can't say I regret a single trip I've taken. But this time, I'm doing it all for me. A wise man told me this summer that "I care more about other people than I do about myself" and he was right. I think I'v earned the right to treat myself for a change, instead of neglecting the self and trying to please everyone else. And it's also the roughest trip planning I've had to date. I'm working harder than ever to scrape together the money for it. Past travels have come from easier-earned income. I am really toiling away to chip away bit by bit to make this fantasy come true.

Likely, I will be there for two weeks before Christmas, but if I can extend it longer I will. Timing is everything. And I have a lot of things coming up in the near future which made an earlier trip out of the question. I have interviews to sit through and a presentation at a library in early October (which will be educational and dealing in part with my book Queer Hauntings, but will include a lot of things not from the book; I hope it's as entertaining as I'm intending it to be). I'm hoping to write more here too about some other places I've encountered to add to a sequel (hopefully I can interview a few business owners and gather together enough to write about them on here) but I will see how much time I manage to have. And I still have to figure out all the accommodations for my Aussie adventure (Yes, of course I'll be blogging from Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne!) but I still have some time. I will gladly take suggestions on places to see, haunted spots to peruse, and cost-cutting methods. Since my camera take insanely-large videos, I hope to be able to set up my webcam and laptop and perhaps have a few video posts while I'm there so that you can see and explore Australia along with me.

So, stay tuned for new things on here... and my greatest adventure to-date.

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." - Mark Twain