AT a news meeting this week, Star-Bulletin editors got locked into an argument about ghosts. Believe it or not,
editors believe in ghostsIt started with a story about how those who believe in God are more likely to believe in ghosts than people who are not religious. The next thing I knew, the editors were into an animated discussion of whether they personally believed in ghosts.
I couldn't believe my ears. We're tough-as-nails editors, for crying out loud, not sensitive New Age wienies. This was a news meeting, not group therapy.
But it was out of my control. They were describing what kind of ghosts they believed in. "You don't believe in the existence of ghosts?" an editor asked me in a condescending tone.
"Right now, I'm not sure I believe in your existence," I replied.
One editor thought ghosts were the restless souls of people who died with unfinished business. Another believed there are joyful ghosts, too. This individual read 30 years ago what you're supposed to say if you ever meet a ghost. He's remembered it all these years for when -- not if -- he has his encounter.
This is what you say to a ghost: "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, who are you and what do you want?"
If he answers, "I'm Casper and I want to be your friend," you run as fast as you can, find yourself a strong pot of coffee and sober up.
A couple of editors weren't sure they believed in ghosts in the sense of disembodied dead folk, but they were certain there's a spiritual world of some sort.
As much as I resisted, I couldn't stop myself from getting drawn in. While I adamantly denied believing in ghosts, I had to admit that I've been driven to irrational acts by other-worldly forces.
In my old office, the door was placed so that people in the foyer between the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser newsrooms could look into my office and see me. It never bothered me until former publisher Arlene Lum told me it was bad luck according to some old Chinese superstition. It played on my mind until I called building maintenance to demand that they free me from the hazard.
They tore my office apart for three weeks to move the door two feet so people couldn't see me from the foyer. They had to rewire half the newsroom to relocate a major electrical junction. I was later embarrassed to hear that the caper cost more than $10,000 -- all to placate some Chinese ghosts.
After confessing this, I asked the editors for a hand count. I feel obliged to report that a majority of the top Star-Bulletin editors at the meeting believe in ghosts. I'm not sure if this should comfort readers that we're human or cause alarm that we're as clueless as some fear.
After a brief digression into UFOs -- at least one editor believes in them -- the discussion moved on to the big question: Who among us believes in God? I didn't let it go to a hand count, but I learned some fascinating things.
FOR instance, one of the most church-going of our editors says he's agnostic. He just likes the Christian ethic and the kind of people who hang around churches.
He told me a great joke. "Did you hear the one about the insomniac dyslexic agnostic? He stayed up all night trying to figure out if there's a dog."
I came to my understanding of God long ago as a young man in a Big Island cane field on a starlit night. I've not since found a need to revisit the question. But we'll have to get to know each other better before I tell you what that understanding was.