A Good Luck? or A Bad Luck?

I once missed a very good opportunity because a black cat laid down at the front of our gate as I set out. To avoid bad luck, I backtracked, waited until the cat disappeared, and reached the scholarship interview a good half hour late. Needless to say, I did not get the scholarship.

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I really had nothing against black cats. It's just that each time they cross my path, they seemed to portent a lost thing, an injury, or quarrels with my friends.

Like when I lost my wallet. Having no money for fare back home, I swallowed my pride and practically begged my friend to lend me money so I could get home. Oh! And the most unforgettable injury in my life so far: I fell down from a see-saw and got three stitches. And the friendship that I lost with my best friend. After that fierce fight with her, we have never talked to each other again.

And all these things happened right after I caught sight of cute, little, black cats.

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I wasn't superstitious, mind you. Still, you don't lose anything from playing along, do you? Also, since before I can remember, my parents have been the most superstitious people alive I know. No matter how much my brother and I explained the scientific basis of these beliefs — they are still firm believers. I guess you could say that following these old traditions have been ingrained in me, even if I don't really believe them.

You could attribute this unquestioned compliance, again, to my parents. Who would dare sleep with their hair wet, if they knew they would face the wrath of a belt buckle, or a cane, if they did? So that was how it started, and before I knew it, following age-old superstitions became an unconscious part of my personality.

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And so, along with black cats, I would rather avoid the number 13, walking beneath a ladder and sneezing before a departure. I also kept one peso coin under my foot for luck, which was taught to me by my mother, and asked for signs.

An example would be signs that involved the weather. If it rains, then, certainly blessings will come. Aside from that, I also have performed "rituals" because of the consistent demands of my mother. Most of these rituals pertain to puberty. I've jumped three steps of the stairs, sat on tanglad or lemon grass, and dipped my head three times in sea water.

But eventually, I grew up and started to have ideas of my own. I started to become headstrong and I rebelled against these old and obsolete traditions.

I realized that, of course, in this world of science and logic, irrational concepts like mine were sadly outmoded. An I promised to overcome them. Gradually time, an eternal healer, lent a hand. A sneeze before a departure signaled no disaster greater than an impending cold; and even black cats foretell no calamity.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition. — Rod Serling

My superstitions are now a thing of the past. I am truly cured — knock on wood!

What superstitions do you believe in and why? Comment your answer below.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY POST!