About 6 months after Hurricane Katrina, I started getting requests from customers that I meet them for coffee and give myself a proper introduction. My friend Merritt and her mother wanted to see for themselves what the Gulf Coast looked like and offered to give me a ride down there. We drove through Gulfport Mississippi on the way there and got a real taste of what actually happened. Finding a place to stay in New Orleans post Katrina was a lesson in frustration and we found ourselves at St. Vincent’s Guest House on Magazine street.

Mojo’s Coffee House across the street quickly became my New Orleans “office” where I met many of my new customers. I still see the owner to this day and thank him for allowing me to loiter as much as I did in between meetings. There were several evenings where I was sitting outside the coffee shop after they closed using their Wifi since St. Vincent’s Internet connection was spotty at best.

Now if you have never heard of St. Vincent’s, you have to understand that is not your standard guest house. St Vincent’s is a extremely old establishment. Before this web designer laid his head, it was built as a orphanage in 1862, founded by the Daughters of Charity order of nuns.

I learned this the hard way one evening when I awoke to see a small girl staring at me while I slept. I consider myself very spiritual yet not religious but I will never forget waking up and looking into the eyes of the first supernatural being I’ve ever encountered. The next morning I asked the person at the front desk if anyone has ever reported anything of the like and they said “Oh, we thought you knew, being on the top floor you are close to the attic. Don’t worry, they are harmless”.

Harmless child ghosts? Got it, no problem.

I met with a few customers and took the train back to Memphis, no idea what was in store for my future.

On the train ride back, I have no idea how it came up, but I started telling the children seated across from me about the ghosts I saw in St. Vincent’s. Now when I take the train, because I’m not driving, I bring wine. It’s a 8 hour train ride and anything to kill boredom is utilized. So I’m a magnum of wine into the train ride when I start ranting about ghosts to these children. They are fascinated with my story and listen for almost the full 8 hours about the ghosts. Afterwards the mother one of the children came up and thanked me for entertaining her children the whole ride back to Memphis.