Triskaidekaphilia and Positive Change

 

I bet you thought I spelled the word "triskaidekaphobia" wrong. The truth is, not everyone hates or fears the number 13. And that's a good thing, because RtG  plans to make 13 look good 2024. This blog started 13 years ago, and I've been here almost from day 1, something almost impossible for me to believe. 

Whew. 

For people who suffer from  triskaidekaphobia, a thirteenth anniversary might be considered scary. They consider the number 13 to be synonymous with bad luck.  Some point at the explosion that almost wrecked the Apollo 13 lunar spacecraft in 1970. (Although it did return to Earth safely.) Thirteen guests at a dinner party is considered very unlucky.  A few fearsome folks worry when they find their hotel room is on the 13th floor or their plane seat is in the 13th row. Some even refuse to get behind the wheel on Friday the 13th. 

Statistics says the number makes no real difference. But many triskaidekaphobics, including author Stephen King, don't need statistical evidence believe the number is truly cursed. Anything that scares him should leave the rest of us terrified, right?

Then along comes Taylor Swift, born on Dec 13, 1989. True, that was on a Wednesday, not a Friday. But she happily celebrated her 13th birthday on Friday the 13th. This year, 2024, she will reach 35 on a Friday the 13th.  Romancing The Genres and the Genre-istas celebrate our own 13th anniversary this year. Swift makes 13 cool, and I'm happy to be joining the Swifties  of the world in rocking the number with joy instead of fear.

Don't be frightened by any number.  The negative superstition about 13 is pretty much an ancient European thing that we in America simply inherited. Then we enhanced the fear factor by making movies like Friday The 13th. In many other parts of the world there are other traditions where the number is considered neutral, if not lucky. There are people who believe the Number 13 has the ability to bring about positive changes, and symbolizes love and compassion.

Yeah RtG!  Positive Change!

Readers, can't promise you 13 more years, but I will continue blogging here about anything that hits me as long as I can. As for you, whether you are a long time reader, or brand new to the blog, welcome (back). Hope to see you again this year. And I'd love to hear where you stand about the big 13.

Equinox--a Time for Superstition

The equinox is a time for superstitions. Are you superstitious?  I’m not.  Okay, maybe I have a couple phobias, but only a couple.

·       I suppose I might be superstitious about walking under ladders.  Especially those two-foot step ladders.

·       And I have difficulty walking on cracks—which makes me kinda crazy since I work on a campus with brick sidewalks.

·       If I see a penny, I don’t pick it up.  First, if it’s so darn lucky, why did the other dude drop it?  Worse, coins are a virtually germ factory, so if the choice is good luck or avoiding Ebola virus… No contest. Besides, I’d have to pick up two-hundred pennies just to buy a lottery ticket.

·       I am NOT superstitious about black cats crossing my path.  No matter than I’ve tripped over my ebony feline 287 times—sometimes after walking under the step ladder.

·       I’m very suspicious of a rabbit’s foot, though.  Supposedly, that little piece of dead fur/bone/ewwww is good luck.  For the rabbit—not so much.

·       I never open my umbrella indoors.  Why would I? It doesn’t rain there.

·       I don't believe breaking a mirror leads to seven years of bad luck. Unless you cut yourself--then you'll be unlucky for at least seven minutes.

·       Four-leaf clovers bring good luck. Puhleez! Anyone sitting in the dirt looking for one of those botanical charms is already behind the proverbial eight-ball. Not only are you wasting time, you are—I repeat—sitting in the dirt. 

·       Garlic wards off vampires. Vampires? Really?  Who believes that crap? 

Besides, vampires live in Olive Gardens; they must love garlic.

·       Refusing to kiss someone under the mistletoe is supposedly unlucky. Doesn’t that depend on who’s under the mistletoe? If it's the Olive Garden Vampire, you're probably unlucky whether you pucker up or not.

·       I do not believe standing in a circle will keep the evil spirits away.  After all, the earth is a circle and I’ve been standing her for years and Congress is still here.

·       I do believe it's bad luck to sing at the table. With my voice, singing anywhere is bad luck.

·       I’m not superstitious about the number thirteen. Uh-oh.  I have thirteen bullets.  Gotta go find some salt to throw over my shoulder.

Maybe I need an entire bag of salt, because you know what I’m really superstitious about?  Writing down my superstitions. 

Oy vey.  

Happy Spring!

She says she didn't do it.

The evidence says otherwise.

Styrofoam Corpse is available at Amazon.com.