I'm a Ghost Writer (Gasp!)

Recently I went in to see my accountant and had to wait to see him and I got to talking to his secretary. She's a very nice lady. I got to hear all about how her sister is a nurse in Denver and her hubby is an insurance agent (very successful) and her dog just got back from the vet (something about an infected tooth or something).

I actually really liked hearing all the stories because their magazines sucked and I hate sitting quietly while I wait. It's just too uncomfortable.

So anyway, at some point I guess the nice lady realized she was talking too much and she started asking me questions.

You know, ordinary stuff like:

"So have you every been to a house that was really haunted?"

"What's the scariest ghost story you know?"

"Do you know if people really try to communicate with us from the afterlife?"

Now, I'm as happy to talk about ghosts as the next person. I like to watch Ghost Hunters and have been known to watch Ghost Hunters International too.

But I started to feel a little strange after a while. I mean, I knew the NY winters weren't kind to my coloring (neither is my Irish heritage) but I didn't think I looked that bad.

Still, I answered the questions... and then came the question that cleared it all up for me:

"So do you go all around the world writing about ghosts, or just the US, or the state?"

Ghosts. Writing.

Ghostwriting!

I got it. She thought I was a writer about ghosts.

Now, this is my accountant. Chances are I would be in this same position again. And I didn't want this awkward moment to happen again. So I had to tell her the truth.

I mean, I thought about not telling her and continuing to be one of the coolest clients. I thought about dressing all in black next time and acting all mysterious. But I thought it would be best to simply tell her the truth.

I don't write about ghosts. I write for other people. I write it, they put their name on it.

Man, the look of disappointment on her face. The poor lady!

But at least her dog was home from the vet and her hubby still had a good job and her sister was still doing the nursing thing in Denver.

Well, at least I think her sister was a nurse in Denver. Maybe she had recently had a baby and was nursing. I may have been mistaken... or maybe she was.