My husband and I were discussing this topic the other day, and he suggested I write a blog on the subject, so here goes my rant.
Macon is a town with lots of history, and quite a few ghosts. There are still some beautiful Victorian mansions standing, some of which are open to the public for tours. Many of these locations, including some that are not so visually appealing and are newer have quite a bit of ghostly activity. People will tell you the stories. Some of these people may have resided at the location, worked there, or just visited, and have had some sort of paranormal experience if not bombarded with activity that has scared the crap out of them.
As a paranormal investigator, I would dearly love to investigate some of these places, especially the more active ones, yet no one will give their permission. They start back peddling and claiming nothing paranormal ever happens at such and such location! Now I must tell you that our investigation team will not publicly announce that we have even visited a given location if the client wishes to keep it a secret. We can be very discreet, yet we are still turned away.
These people act ashamed that they have ghosts! Why? What are they afraid we’ll find? Proof? Do they think others will think they’re in league with the devil if they have a ghost? Come on, folks! We’re no longer in the Middle Ages! I think this mentality is only going on in Middle Georgia. Look at all the tv shows where people all across the country and all over the world are really letting it publicly be known that they have paranormal activity or ghosts.
And speaking of public versus private hauntings, Macon is always striving to be a tourist attraction. They build museums which you can finish seeing in 5 minutes. It’s hard to be a town of tourism when you don’t have much to offer. People look around in a few small museums, then what? Most of the scenery in Macon is ghetto. In fact the way Macon is designed you can be looking at nice homes or such, and within a short walk is a bad neighborhood. That’s not exactly the type of thing to draw tourists.
If Maconites would get over their embarassment of their ghostly companions, they could capitalize on their ghosts! Savanah draws much more tourism than Macon, and they are proud of their ghosts! People go there to see or experience a paranormal event. Haunted bed and breakfasts across the country are booked months in advance because people want to experience phenomena for themselves! Face it Macon, ghosts are in vogue right now. You have plenty of ghosts, and now is the time to not only allow investigators to investigate, but make it public! Bring in the ghost tourists! If someone wants to see a museum, they are not likely to make a trip to Macon. There are much better museums elsewhere that actually have the funding for impressive exhibits. Why not work with what you have, which appears to be many ghosts? Stop trying to be what you’re not, and capitalize on what you have. Get over your fears, and join the rest of the country in exploring the paranormal. If the stories I hear have any validity to them, Macon could possibly be listed as one of the most haunted towns!
~Draiga
founder of the Haxan Paranormal Society
