We were all set up to investigate the barn I keep my horse at. Unfortunately a war ensued between the owner of the property and the one who managed the barn. Thus, the ghost hunt was a casualty of the fallout. It’s sad really. But, many investigations fall by the wayside. We make the plans, change our schedules, charge our equipment, inconvenience our loved ones, and then it’s, “oh, I decided I don’t want to do it this weekend.”
People who ask to have their home or property “ghost hunted” think of it as a sport, a bit of fun. They don’t pay anyone, they don’t feel they even owe a cup of coffee sometimes. (My thermos gets a lot of use.) So, often they find something better to do and cancel… AT THE LAST MINUTE! That puts out about a dozen people and their families, and in this case, my horse!
Paranormal investigators do not charge on principle. We do not want our search for evidence to be clouded by cash. However, sometimes I think it warrants payment. This is our personal time, our equipment, gas, food, etc… It’s not free for us. It’s an expense, sometimes a large nut when we travel far, or equipment breaks. A cancellation, that means we’ve missed an opportunity somewhere else.
If we charged a fee, I bet most of these cancellations would cease, IF there was a deposit. There would be more respect for our skills and service. I may get a ton of backlash, but I think we have shortchanged ourselves by not asking for remuneration. It’s nice to help people, but there are those who are just seeking a thrill, and, by proxy, at the ghost hunter’s expense.
I think what I’m asking for is a little respect. I will say, what happened at the barn had nothing to do with fact we were investigating and everything to do with a horse people politics. So, this was not a deliberate “dissing.” It did bring to mind several investigations we arranged, some with teammates coming from out of state, only to have the venue say, oops, we forgot, or sorry we don’t want to do it this weekend (and it’s Friday).
The public needs to know, this is not a joke. This is not a chance to be on TV. This is not entertainment. (We had one couple invite all their friends to watch at one home…) Our goal is to seek evidence of a haunting, solve paranormal problems, discover history, and help those spirits stuck behind. We are here to seek, learn and help. The least you could do is follow through. And, a little coffee would not be amiss if you’re expecting us to be up until 4 am.
So, there’s my rant. I don’t rant much, but sometimes it’s necessary.
Eat Cookies, BE KIND, Read Comics!
Tj
