Ballookey

I saw this post on The Consumerist where a recent home buyer discovered after closing on the house that the previous homeowner had committed suicide there. She’s somewhat disgruntled because this wasn’t disclosed nor was it legally required to be before she bought the place.

I get that there’s a moment’s “whoa” factor. When my husband told me that his two infant uncle’s cremains had been stored in a closet in our current house for 30+ years, I had a “whoa” moment. When he told me that someone had committed suicide in the house next door, I had a “whoa” moment. But it’s just a moment. The significance, or novelty of the thought passes, and life goes on.

Let’s be blunt here. Is it ghosts? Are people actually worried about ghosts? We know they’re not real, don’t we? I’m pretty sure that’s known – ghosts aren’t real. Death doesn’t have a mystical residue that makes a house any “dirtier” than when someone’s kid threw up in the hall, or poor Aunt Mabel was incontinent or that time I cracked my head on the porch and bled all over the place.

Death happens, the same as all other bodily functions – in fact, it’s guaranteed. And just like all the others, sometimes people make decisions about the how and when of death. Death isn’t some magical line that gets crossed and NOW all the sudden there’s a residue that can’t be cleaned away (unless we’re talking about an advanced decomp situation-then you’re going to have to do some renovation). If that were the case, all the best spots on the planet would be unsuitable for dwelling.

Although, knowing people to be the superstitious bunch they are, if I ever have a problem with one of the renters next door, I fully intend to tell them about the horrible suicide that took place there just to see if that gets rid of them.