Phenomena, Schme-nomena

I find it puzzling how some folks out there won't believe in spirits unless they can get physical evidence to their satisfaction.  People get excited by pictures of orbs, things that look like spirit people, EVP, and all kinds of other things, including UFO's and aliens.  And there are those who are very interested in experiencing the physical things that may indicate spirit presence or influence - ghost hunters and the like.  We can label these all things, for lack of a better term, phenomena. I certainly believe that spirits are capable of producing valid physical phenomena, and I've experienced a thing or two to back it up, at least to my own satisfaction.  I don't have much issue with it, but I do think that most phenomena is of little value. Does an orb really convey the presence of spirit(s) in a photograph? Or a hazy picture that looks like a person?  What about the "good" pictures of spirit people? Even if it were incontrovertibly true, beyond all shadows of a doubt,  you're still only left with a photograph, or whatever other physical evidence you have.  So what. Imagine your favorite famous person that you've never meet, nor seen.  Perhaps someone from history.  What would you rather have, a picture of them, or have them over to your house for dinner and conversation?  Does it matter that someone can tell you that the picture is, beyond all shadows of a doubt, a picture of that person?  Is a picture ever going to be a good enough substitute for the visit?? Of course not! In a similar way, the question of whether the phenomena is legitimate just doesn't matter much.  The dinner and conversation are far better and more important. When someone taps you on the shoulder to get your attention to talk, do you run away, all excited and yakking that you were tapped?  Do you run around, showing your shoulder and then pointing out the exact spot where you were tapped to everyone who'll look? In your excitement, do you forget all about who it was, or why they wanted to talk to you in the first place?  If so, you probably look like an idiot to all the people you've been running around to.  More importantly, you've been rude to the person who was trying to talk to you. You missed the whole point, and now you probably look like an idiot to them too. Spirits sometimes use phenomena to get our attention.  It's like a tap on the shoulder. The conversation is what it's really all about.  While there's nothing wrong with it, the tap on the shoulder is of comparatively little value.