I heard a small boy sobbing and crying for aid: "Can somebody help me?" He stood just outside of his quaint row house.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"My Mommy and Daddy aren't home and I can't go back in," he said.
"Why not?"
"How do you know there's a ghost?" I asked.
"I was down in the basement and I heard it walking. Real loud. And it was on the radar."
"Radar...?" I asked.
"Ghost radar! iPhone!" He started crying again. I later learned that there is an iPhone app called Ghost Radar, which allegedly identifies paranormal activity in any given location.
I informed him that a lot of people don't believe that ghosts exist.
What really concerned me was the idea of a very young child being home alone. I questioned him as to where his mother and father worked.
At that point, a young lady -- of adult age, or nearly so -- popped out of the front door. She identified herself as the boy's sister. Naturally, I was gratified to learn that the youngster had not been left by himself.
I told her that her younger brother had become convinced of the presence of a ghost in the basement.
"No way," she said. "I sleep in that basement every night. No ghosts."
"Were you walking around on the floor above the basement just now?" I asked.
"I guess. Maybe."
A small dog escaped the front door. The boy -- no longer weeping or upset -- merrily went chasing after it.
Does this anecdote have a point? Well, not a political point -- although if you are imaginative enough to discover a political angle, you will have my deep respect.
But perhaps we can draw a practical lesson from this tale. Parents, please be careful as to which apps you let your child use without supervision. And if you do allow a kid to play with your "ghost radar," make sure the youngster understands the concept of the false positive.
So tell me: Has anyone ever had success using the Ghost Radar app?
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