THE S WORD director, Lisa Klein, wrote an article for State of Mind on Slate.com recently. State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health system—and how to make it better.
My Mother’s Ghostbuster Boyfriend: Haunted by three suicides and an overdose, my mother found companionship with someone with an unlikely hobby. I guess I wanted normalcy, not paranormalcy….”
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Lisa’s wrote a true, heartbreaking, and at times humorous story.
When I asked my mom about her new boyfriend, Roderick, she told me he was a college professor who wrote beautiful poetry. When I mentioned Roderick to my nephew, though, he told me that Roderick had a side gig—as a ghostbuster. “Yeah, he apparently communicates with troubled spirits and helps them have a more peaceful afterlife,” he informed me. (Here and elsewhere in this article, I’m paraphrasing, and Roderick isn’t his real name.)
I broached this with my mother because … how could I not. She didn’t love that. She stressed that the ghost stuff wasn’t his main job. It was merely his calling.
My mother didn’t believe in anything but atheism, and calling was not her word. I continued to push the ripping envelope that was her patience when I asked if she believed in the supernatural. I knew I was being a pain in the ass, but this was literally haunting me. Her answer was kind of vague—something like “No, I mean, not really, but … no.”
I couldn’t stop myself from countering with, “But you’re dating a ghostbuster.” Between clenched teeth, my mom emphasized that he was mostly a poet. Then she mused about Roderick reading poetry to them.
“Who’s them?” I asked.
She was so done with this. “The spirits or whatever the hell you call them … ”
Read the full story on Slate.com.
If you need to talk, or if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
