You've Been Ghosted

©Eric S Chernenkoff

If you haven’t, and if you don’t have a clue of what I’m talking about, read on and you may want to start a new tradition in your neighborhood this Halloween.

“Ghosting” your neighbors is a relatively new Halloween tradition that seems to be catching on quickly. If it’s occurring in your neighborhood, you’ll know by the images of ghosts with the words “We’ve Been Ghosted” beneath appearing on your neighbors front doors or windows. The “We’ve Been Ghosted” signs are typically electronically copied drawings of a simple ghost on 8 ½ by 11 paper. More deluxe versions consist of poster board cutouts. If you see all your neighbors with these signs in their windows or taped to the front door, and you’ve been overlooked, then it may be time to stop yelling at the neighbor kids and hire yourself an experienced “How to be a Good Neighbor” campaign manager.

What is “Ghosting”? It’s a relatively safe and simple way to get the neighborhood kids into the spirit of Halloween, and a good alternative to the soaping and egging that has ruled for many years. You get two bags or containers (these can be brown paper bags, Halloween trick-or-treating bags, or even inexpensive plastic pumpkins), fill them with a variety of candy, stuff in a copy of the official “rules” and a copy of the “You’ve Been Ghosted” ghost in each, and deploy! Deployment is usually the best part of the Ghosting. It usually occurs after dark, but before the neighbors your ghosting go to bed. Take note: I said BEFORE they go to bed. Have your kids dress in their darkest S.W.A.T. style outfits and send them out with the goods. ( I strongly recommend that a responsible adult accompanies the youngsters. ) You drop the bag off at the front door, ring the doorbell and run. The idea is that the neighbor you just Ghosted doesn’t see you.

Warning! Warning! Here is what can go wrong….

One year in our neighborhood one of our young star athletes was not as quick and sly as he should have been, and the neighbor he ghosted tackled him. Unfortunately, the neighbor had no idea what “Ghosting” was and misinterpreted the door ringing and the deposited non-descript bag on his porch as a Halloween prank, and darted out of his house after the kid. I don’t know what the neighbor was thinking, but with all the headlines in the news the past several years, perhaps he thought this 10 year old was a short terrorist and had just deposited a whole sack of anthrax on his porch. These type of neighbors you may want to avoid Ghosting. Or, choose not to ring the doorbell and leave the bag of goodies at a safe distance from any door where raging warlords can exit from.

It’s been an overactive Halloween season of Ding-dong Ditch in our neighborhood. This has put everyone in the neighborhood on high alert to try and catch the hooligans that are dinging and ditching. The warlords have especially raised their alert systems to red. Thus, it may not be the best time to be ringing doorbells and depositing mementos of friendship, as you risk bodily injury or a cold shower from the hose. This year we are simply depositing the bags by the front door and letting them be found in the morning. (Of course this raises other potential problems. Particularly with Mr. & Mrs. Raccoon and family.)

Be sensitive to who you’re a “Ghosting”. A doorbell ringing at night and the possibility of seeing dark clothed figures dashing out of their yards can be especially frightening for our seniors and anyone who lives alone.

So, if you play. Play responsibly. And, have fun!

More later…
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