Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts

Near the end of the Haunted Mansion ride in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, an eerie voice warns ‘beware of hitchhiking ghosts.’

And, of course, the doom buggy rolls along and passes three ghosts hitching a ride. As one of the ghosts appears in the doom buggy, the eerie voice chuckles ‘…and a ghost will follow you home.’

How many hitchhiking ghosts follow you home each day?

I’ll share with you a couple of mine.

Each time I see a business man with a Blackberry, one of my hitchhiking ghosts starts to moan in my ear. ‘You should have a Blackberry. If you were successful, you’d have one. Imagine how good it would feel to sit in Starbucks and pick up your email on a Blackberry. You’d really look professional. People would be so impressed.’

And only yesterday, waiting to cross the road, I admired a brand new S-Type Jaguar idling at the traffic lights. The driver was around my age with his wife in the passenger seat. As the lights changed, and the Jaguar glided by, I noticed two young children in the backseat.

Another of my hitchhiking ghosts appeared. 'Why don't you have a Jaguar? Why aren't you earning enough to let your family ride in comfort. You know you're really failing.'

In the past I ran from these hitchhiking ghosts. I'd hide under the sheets and hope they'd disappear.

But now I welcome them. My ghosts reveal to me not what I want to have but what I want to be.

I don't want to have a Blackberry. But I want to be more professional.
I don't want to have an S-Type Jaguar - I don't even drive. But I want to be a better provider for my family.

It's time to go ghost hunting and discover what your hitchhiking ghosts reveal about you.

I'll see you on the back roads...

Colin