Tiny Omens
Superstition is built into my nature. I think it must have something to do with the Irish on both sides and the crazy gamblers in my mom's mom's family. In my life, it manifests in small, silly ways. I'm nearly thirty, yet I secretly hold my breath when I drive pass graveyards (impolite to breathe in front of those who can't) and I do what I can not to step on cracks (for the sake of my mother's back, of course).
But I believe in good luck signs, too, not just bad omens. And I've always made them up as I went along. But I know I'm not alone in this.
Just after lunch today, I was in my car and I heard the song "Semi-Charmed Life." Huge in 1997, which was a very social year for me, as I was newly 21 and making the most of not worrying about being carded. So the song always reminds me of those days - a trip to New York with Suzanne (who's 30th on Friday, btw, was just as fun as I'd hoped), Saturdays pretending to be a Georgetown senior at F. Scott's, countless hours at McGarveys and, from the summer on, tons of time in Baltimore.
Today I happened to hear the extended version of the song - including the face down on the mattress part at the end. And immediately, I knew the rest of my day would go smoothly - all because one night in 1997, I sat in my friend Pete's room, waiting for him to finish getting ready to go out, and Semi-Charmed Life came on the radio. He looked at me and said, "If its the long version, you know we'll have fun tonight." I loved it, of course, like everyone loves finding out that they're not alone in having weird little superstitious ticks. And I loved it more when we heard the long version of the song.
Then we went out. And we had a great time (though we almost always did). And today, my afternoon really was pretty good. A whole lot better than my morning.
It's so nice when you can rely on little things like that, things that don't make any logical sense at all.
But I believe in good luck signs, too, not just bad omens. And I've always made them up as I went along. But I know I'm not alone in this.
Just after lunch today, I was in my car and I heard the song "Semi-Charmed Life." Huge in 1997, which was a very social year for me, as I was newly 21 and making the most of not worrying about being carded. So the song always reminds me of those days - a trip to New York with Suzanne (who's 30th on Friday, btw, was just as fun as I'd hoped), Saturdays pretending to be a Georgetown senior at F. Scott's, countless hours at McGarveys and, from the summer on, tons of time in Baltimore.
Today I happened to hear the extended version of the song - including the face down on the mattress part at the end. And immediately, I knew the rest of my day would go smoothly - all because one night in 1997, I sat in my friend Pete's room, waiting for him to finish getting ready to go out, and Semi-Charmed Life came on the radio. He looked at me and said, "If its the long version, you know we'll have fun tonight." I loved it, of course, like everyone loves finding out that they're not alone in having weird little superstitious ticks. And I loved it more when we heard the long version of the song.
Then we went out. And we had a great time (though we almost always did). And today, my afternoon really was pretty good. A whole lot better than my morning.
It's so nice when you can rely on little things like that, things that don't make any logical sense at all.
posted by Kit Pollard at
11:15 PM
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