Ghosting, it’s come a long way.
Back in my day, ghosting wasn’t something you did to people. It was something that happened to our photos.
You’d load a roll of film, 24 shots if you were careful, 36 if you could afford it.
Every click mattered because each one cost money. No 47 selfies hoping for a decent one.
You’d take those photos over weeks, then head to the local chemist and hand over your roll like it was gold (the packaging was actually gold coloured).
And then, you waited. A long 1 to 2 weeks.
Finally, the little paper envelope arrives. You tear it open, hoping for magic, only to find a few out of focus, a thumb making a guest appearance and at least one with ghosting.
That odd double image making Uncle Dave look like he’s in two places at once. That was ghosting.
Fast forward, and the meaning’s had a serious upgrade. Now ghosting is:
👻 Reading a message… and replying sometime before retirement
👻 Saying “let’s circle back” and quietly disappearing
👻 My personal favourite - sending an email and waiting indefinitely for a response
I once emailed a client in Sydney, followed up a few weeks later, and waited.
18 months later, I get - “Apologies for the delay, it’s been a busy time.”
Busy time? That’s a whole career for some people!
Yet, a few weeks later, I was in Sydney delivering a workshop. Proof that sometimes people aren’t ghosting you; they just have a slightly different timeline.
From double images in old photos to double-taps without conversation, ghosting has evolved.
Sometimes what feels like ghosting is simply silence.
In that silence, we get to choose the story we tell ourselves.
Behind every ‘ghost’ is still a person. A person just living a life we can’t always see.
Let’s talk!
Ghosting!