October is here again. And with it comes the annual retail assault of plastic vampire teeth and fake cobwebs. While everyone else debates scary movie lists, I’m thinking about ghosts—but not the cheap, store-bought kind.

Honestly, I’ve never really been a fan of Halloween. It always feels too loud, too plastic, too full of those screaming masks.

Yet the word ghost itself has always fascinated me. I’m not talking about the ones from movies—not white sheets or floating shadows. I mean the other kind of ghosts. The ones that live quietly in our hearts and memories.

We all have them.

The friend we lost touch with. The person we once loved. The person we hurt, or the one who hurt us. The mistakes that still visit us late at night. Or maybe it’s the childhood house you can never go back to, or the advice your grandfather gave you that you finally understand, years too late. These are ghosts too. They’re not frightening; they’re just familiar. They’re the parts of our past that never really die.

These ghosts can actually be gentle teachers. They remind us of what truly mattered, what shaped us, and the lessons we sometimes keep forgetting. They can be a quiet whisper of gratitude, a sharp pang of regret, or a little bit of longing—and they can even guide us toward understanding ourselves better.

Philosophers and writers have been noticing this for ages. Jacques Derrida once said, “We must learn to live with ghosts.” He wasn’t talking about actual spirits. He meant the unfinished business of memory and emotion—the people and ideas that still influence us, even when we think they’re gone. To live fully, he suggested, is to acknowledge these presences, to give them space without letting them control us.

Historically, All Hallows’ Eve was a night for reflection—a time to remember the dead, honor the saints, and think quietly about mortality.

So this year, instead of spending time or money on a costume, I’m going to take a moment to sit quietly and listen to my own ghosts. 

Learning Support: Living With Ghosts

Vocabulary

• Spooky season – A playful way to describe Halloween. Example: “October is here again. And with it comes the annual retail assault of plastic vampire teeth and fake cobwebs.”
• Plastic vampire teeth / fake cobwebs – Symbols of commercial Halloween decorations.
• Fascinated – Very interested or attracted. Example: “the word ghost itself has always fascinated me.”
• Ghosts – Here, both literal and metaphorical; past experiences, memories, or people that influence us.
• Mistakes that still visit you late at night – Memories or regrets that return unexpectedly.
• Gentle teachers – Something that teaches softly or subtly. Example: “These ghosts can actually be gentle teachers.”
• Whisper of gratitude / pang of regret / little bit of longing – Subtle emotions evoked by memories.
• Unfinished business – Matters left unresolved. Example: “the unfinished business of memory and emotion.”
• Acknowledge – Recognize or accept something. Example: “is to simply acknowledge these presences.”
• Reflection / mortality – Thinking deeply and the awareness of life and death.

Collocations

• Lost touch with – No longer in contact with someone. Example: “The friend we lost touch with.”
• Visit you late at night – Something from the past comes back unexpectedly. Example: “The mistakes that still visit you late at night.”
• Quiet whisper / sharp pang / little bit of longing – Ways to describe subtle feelings.
• Give space / control us – Allowing something to exist without letting it dominate.

Phrasal Verbs

• Take a moment – Pause briefly to reflect. Example: “I’m just going to take a moment to sit quietly.”
• Sit quietly – Remain still and thoughtful. Example: “sit quietly and listen to my own ghosts.”
• Listen to – Pay attention carefully. Example: “listen to my own ghosts.”

Expressions

• The past that never really dies – Memories and experiences that remain with us.
• Guide us toward understanding – Helping us reflect or learn about ourselves.
• Bag full of candy – A metaphor for trivial enjoyment compared to meaningful reflection.