👻 Thought of the Day and Question of the Day: Haunted by the Past (and Maybe a Few Ghosts)

October 19, 2025

Every so often, a Thought of the Day and Question of the Day line up so perfectly it’s almost eerie. Today’s pairing feels like that, a little spooky, a little reflective, and a lot true. We’re talking about ghosts, both the kind that rattle chains and the kind that live rent-free in your head.

💭 Thought of the Day: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” — William Faulkner

I love that line because it’s one of those quotes that keeps finding new ways to haunt you depending on when you read it. Faulkner wasn’t just talking about history; he was talking about memory, the way we carry old moments with us whether we mean to or not.

Think about it: how many arguments are you still having in your head from five years ago? How many times have you replayed a conversation, wishing you said something smarter, funnier, or at least less awkward? The past doesn’t stay buried. It lingers. It whispers. It shapes the way we walk into every new room.

I think that’s why haunted places fascinate us so much. We don’t just believe they’re haunted by the dead,we suspect they might be haunted by the living too. Every story, every rumor, every creaky floorboard carries a memory someone couldn’t quite let go of.

And if you really think about it, our minds are a lot like old houses. Some rooms we keep pristine and well-lit; others we avoid entirely. But the ghosts still wander the halls, old regrets, lost loves, missed opportunities, the “what-ifs” that refuse to move on.

If you’ve ever caught yourself wincing at something you did in 2013 while brushing your teeth, congratulations: you’ve just been haunted by your own past.

For another reflection on how the past never quite leaves us, check out “Life Finds a Way”, where I talked about growth, survival, and how we keep pushing through, even when the past tries to hold us back.

👻 Question of the Day: Have you ever been on, or would you go on, a ghost tour?

My answer: Not yet, but I really want to.

Living near Philadelphia, I’ve had my eye on Eastern State Penitentiary for years. That place looks like the kind of prison that still echoes with footsteps when no one’s there. The idea of walking those cold, crumbling hallways while a guide whispers about inmates who never really left? Yeah, that sounds like a perfect October night.

I don’t think I’d last long if anything actually happened, though. I’d like to think I’d power through to see what happens, but I’d be gone faster than a fart in the wind. But still, there’s something about those tours that feels… necessary. Like a way of saying, “Hey, we remember you. You mattered.” Even if “you” was just an urban legend or a long-dead warden with unfinished business.

And maybe that’s why we’re drawn to them. Ghost tours aren’t really about the dead, they’re about us. Our curiosity. Our fear. Our desire to believe that stories never truly end, they just fade into the next chapter.

I might not have been on a ghost tour yet, but I’ve definitely walked through my share of haunted memories, places I can’t revisit without feeling something flicker deep down. And that’s the real haunting, isn’t it? The moments that still make the hairs on your arm stand up long after they’re gone.

If you like today’s theme, you might also enjoy this one about poking life with a stick.

💬 Your Turn

Would you ever go on a ghost tour? Have you been on one that stuck with you?

Drop your thoughts in the comments or share your own haunted story.

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