The Haunting

I'm sitting here in my office, listening to the Juliana Theory. I know, I know have a good laugh. Now let's get serious. I listened to the first JT album, 'Understand this is a Dream', a TON when I was in high school.

As I'm sitting here listening to Juliana Theory for probably the first time since high school, a slide show is beginning to unfold in my mind. It's a picture show of sounds, images, and moments from high school on through college. As this music meanders through my office, I'm caught off guard by how it triggers memories and emotions that I had just completely forgotten about. I'm not going to lie, this is sort of disconcerting. The music keeps playing and this slideshow only intensifies: people, friends, girlfriends, experiences, places, and old thoughts appear in my mind now, only as shades of what they used to be. Though their memories are real and so disarmingly sanguine, their ghost reminds me that the days are gone and not returning. All the joy encapsulated in my ignorant youth was spent, and the empty casing is left to recount where the time went. This is the Haunting-the selfsame desire to relive better days (even if only in thought), and regret that those days have no more life left in them.

The Haunting is described so eloquently by John Eldridge in "The Sacred Romance". I would argue that "The Sacred Romance" is worth reading if the only thing you get out of it is an understanding of how the Haunting works: The Haunting catches you off guard, and disarms you. The Haunting catches you when you're at work, listening to Juliana Theory, and possesses you for short periods of time. The Haunting intoxicates you when you pass that girl on the street who you swear looks like that girl you used to date in your junior year in high school. The Haunting deafens with ghostly boasts as you as you walk down the halls of your old dorm room; it laughs a hollow, spectral laugh as you pause to remember when you were young and thought you knew everything.

I just wanted you all to know that I came face to face with a ghost a few minutes ago, and it kind of shook me up. But ghosts aren't tangible, kids, so don't carry it with you all the time.



musical reference, hopesfall: " 'This wasn't my intention!' is now a Haunting: the ghost of whispering thoughts..."