How Superstitious Are You?

Love black cats.

Morning glories!

Today is Friday the 13th.

And I’m curious (yes, I know what they say about curiosity) but I have to ask. Am I the only one who is still a little superstitious these days?

Did any of you do anything differently when you realized today’s date?

I have to confess, I hesitated a moment before accepting a library sub job that was three days long, at a high school where I have never worked, and that ended on Friday the 13th. I could envision all kinds of catastrophes happening on my last day at Burges High.

And maybe it is bad luck for me to say that now when the day is not even half over, because who knows what can still happen.

I better knock on wood and keep my fingers crossed (although that makes typing kind of hard) until the last bell rings at 3:50.

But so far…well, you know.

Last night I took a few online quizzes just to confirm what I already knew. I went to Buzzfeed and took the quiz How Superstitious Are You? Actually, it was a list of 50 activities and beliefs and I had to check off the ones I do. I checked off 21 out of 50 on this list!

I took a couple more quizzes just because you can’t really draw a solid conclusion with data from only one quiz. Here are some of the other results I got:

You are very superstitious, and know that there is a lot of mystery in this world. Some of it is good, some of it is bad, but only a fool would pretend it doesn’t exist. Better safe than sorry.
You got 10 out of 12 right!
You’re as superstitious as they come. You’d never walk under a ladder. You carry a rabbit’s foot. You throw salt over your shoulder when spilled. You know all of the main superstitions… and then some. You’re extremely superstitious and believe that by taking the proper protocol, you can avoid serious misfortune. If a mirror were to break, you’d likely feel ominous for the next 7 years. While it’s OK to be a bit superstitious, don’t let it run your life. Take it all in stride and go with the flow.
A+ You got 10 correct out of 10, or 100%.

So now I think it is safe to conclude that I am a bit superstitious.

Horseshoes, anyone?

I was raised to knock on wood, cross my fingers, avoid black cats. That’s one I have fortunately disregarded because some of my favorite people have been our black cats over the years. My mom would tell us to always go out the same door we came in. If we left the house, then had to go back in to get something we had forgotten, we were to sit down for a minute before going back out the door.

Yesterday I asked the kids at Burges and my family members and some friends if they considered themselves superstitious. Most of the kids had to ask what the word superstitious meant. When I explained, most of them said they weren’t superstitious at all. I was disappointed. According to a 2011 article in the El Paso Times, about 90% of the students in this region are Hispanic [source]. I was hoping to hear some great superstitions from the rich Mexican culture in our city. Didn’t hear a one!

I trained my daughters to look for pennies everywhere we went, then when we found one, I would put it in my left shoe for good luck. We also blew a kiss as we drove under a traffic light that turned from green to yellow or yellow to red. That wards off traffic tickets.

So I polled some of my family and friends about their superstitions and here are some of their responses:

My brother-in-law changed the date of his colonoscopy when he realized it was scheduled for Friday the 13th. Atta boy. Why take a chance, right?
His wife, my sister does a lot of wood-knocking and finger-crossing.
One son-in-law admits to knocking on wood or his head when he says aloud that {something bad} hasn’t happened yet. He adds that it doesn’t work. But maybe the bad would be worse if he didn’t knock wood.
My sister-in-law crosses her index and middle fingers and holds them in the air when “the other team” is shooting free throws. No report on how well that works, but hey, its free and worth a shot (pardon the pun).
Both son-in-laws and my very own Paul admit to having some kind of superstition or ritual around watching their favorite sports team. Wearing a jersey or tee that supports the team, wearing it again (and again) if the team wins (hopefully but not necessarily washing it between wearings). It is also almost a necessity that they watch the entire game, from beginning to end.

I have just made friends with a librarian for whom I will be subbing during her maternity leave this spring. I visited her library earlier this week but had emailed back and forth with her several times prior our meeting. I felt an instant connection to this mommy-to-be. When I asked, she admitted to being superstitious and emailed a comprehensive list of the ways she is.

Apparently, there is some wood knocking and finger crossing going on over at her place, too.
She handles mirrors delicately and wishes on stars and birthday candles.
She takes picking up pennies a step further than I do by only picking up pennies that are heads up.
And says that an itchy nose isn’t seasonal allergies but rather an indication that someone is talking about her.

I knew I liked this girl!

So now it is YOUR turn. Please leave me a comment below about how you are superstitious and before you say you aren’t, think back to your wedding day.

Hint:

(something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue)

And if you haven’t seen the movie Silver Linings Playbook with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro you have got to watch it. It’s all about superstition and OCD, which at my house are almost one and the same.

[source]

Hugs and sticky kisses,

Comments

Sharon says

February 13, 2015 at 3:12 pm

You forgot to ask me! 🙂 I don’t think
I’m very superstitious but I do knock
on wood and only pick up face up pennies. Guess I heard about the penny one later in life. Can’t say I’ve ever walked under a ladder and I’ve had my share of black kitties run across the street in front of my car too but I’ve never thought much about it. I never knew you were superstitious though! Do you remember us yelling black shoe polish during basketball games in middle school when the opposing team was shooting free throws? I sure do! 🙂 That and the Thunderbolts! Ha!
I thought Silver Linings was more about bi-polar folks. Maybe I didn’t get it though since I am slightly OCD.

- Leslie Roberts Clingan says
  
  February 21, 2015 at 10:27 am
  
  I think Silver Linings has a little OCD and a little bi-polar going on. The dad is definitely OCD with arranging his remotes and having to have his crabby snacks and homemades for every game. I do remember us yelling black shoe polish at the basketball games. Wonder how that got started? The THUNDER-BOLTS, calling THUNDERBOLTS!!!
  
Sheila @ Sheila's Potpourri says

February 20, 2015 at 8:08 am

No, I’m really not. I’m *traditional* which means I like to adhere to traditions (so the something borrowed, something blue thing…) but not because I believe in bad luck. I walk under ladders, go out any old door I want, and throwing salt is just messy. In Italy, the number 13 is good, not unlucky, but they have their own fair share of superstitions.

As I Christian I don’t believe in luck, good or bad! I do believe in good and evil though. There’s a difference. So I don’t play with oijia boards, read my horoscope or have my cards read. I don’t mess with that stuff.

- Sharon says
  
  February 20, 2015 at 8:19 am
  
  I agree with you Sheila! Great response.
  
  - Leslie Roberts Clingan says
    
    February 21, 2015 at 10:31 am
    
    Love you, Sharon!
    
- Leslie Roberts Clingan says
  
  February 21, 2015 at 10:30 am
  
  Well put, Sheila. I used to read my horoscope, have my cards read. I was desperate for some kind of clarity, some kind of hope. Now I have hope with God in my life. I think there is a little something to horoscope and the cards, at times, but perhaps it is just a another way God connects with us…or introduces Himself to the unbeliever.