Mixed thoughts on ghosts

My national television debut had me on pins and needles Dec. 29 as "Paranormal State" aired about the experiences of a local family.

Buy this photo

I was interviewed for the show back in October and other than the camera making me look chunkier than I thought I was, I was pleased overall.

The show looked at the experiences of Bruce and Danielle Collins in their home between St. Meinrad and Bristow.

I'm not sure what I think about hauntings, possession and other paranormal topics. In general I don't believe in any of it mainly because I've never experienced something I couldn't explain.

I know there are lots of people who believe in the paranormal and while I respect those views and think many of those folks are genuine in their beliefs, I have trouble buying into the idea that the spirits of the dead can somehow haunt places or other people.

I'd like to think that loved ones who die aren't forgotten and that their memories linger. But the belief that we can remember and honor the dead doesn't extend, at least for me, to thinking I can reach out to them or that those spirits are going to reach out to me.

I'm less convinced that evil spirits linger in an area of where an accident or crime might have happened but I have friends who believe that could happen. Maybe it's because I haven't come across those experiences myself.

I hope the Collinses have nothing but good experiences in their home.

Jury Duty

Thanks to the men and women serving on last week's jury in Perry Circuit Court. They're the reason our system of justice works.

I'm always a little dismayed when it appears that some people try to squirm their way out of jury service. During jury selection last week, some potential jurors asked to be excused because they were nervous, feared they would misunderstand something or didn't want to get involved in a case involving other people.

Yes, some people have conflicts, past experiences or other issues that keep them from serving impartially and it's certainly better to be excused than to serve with bias. But I think too many people simply look for a reason to be excused.

We may not look forward to jury service, but if the time comes for us or a loved one to be in the defendant's chair, we would want good people willing to serve, not looking for a way to squirm out of a civic duty.