Ghostwriter and Ghost Rider

Just a short, singular thought today but it sets up several concepts I’ll be talking about in the next couple of blogs. First things, first. This blog is called Life Cycles and carries the subtitle Writing A Life While Riding A Bike. “Why, how clever!” you say. 

So I’m thinking about this as I ride my bike today and it occurs to me that a ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Get it? Got it? Good!  Now stay with me on this.

When I say Ghost Rider two things come to most people’s minds. The famous line from the 1986 movie, Topgun . . .

            Maverick:                         Tower, this is Ghost rider requesting a flyby.
            Air Boss Johnson:           That’s a negative Ghost rider, the pattern is full.

Or the other thing that comes to many people's minds is the Marvel Comics superhero Ghost Rider featured twenty-one years later in the movie of the same name. In the movie version, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a hellblazing vigilante, to fight against power hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself. Gotta love the forthrightness of the graphic novel medium!

Ahh, but that's not what comes to my mind. (You knew that was coming, right?) Here’s my take on it, a third thing comes to my mind. (Remember, your first answer may not be your best answer!)

If I’ve accepted Christ as my savior and the Holy Ghost is therefore living in me, then it follows that the Holy Ghost is ever present with me. He (or She) is always around. He/She writes with me. He/She rides with me. I’m never alone. I am a new being in Christ and my thoughts and actions are shared, impacted, designed, influenced, controlled, inspired, ad infinitum by the one and only Holy Ghost.

So as a writer and a rider I have an ever-present companion. A ghost writer and a ghost rider. Stay tuned. We’ll see how this plays out in my next few blogs!