Friday, September 13, 2013

Signs and Superstitions


No other day sparks as much talk of superstitions as Friday the 13th.  The water cooler talk this morning was all about black cats & broken mirrors, even though very few people will admit to being superstitious.  

I am not a superstitious person.  I have owned black cats multiple times in my life, but I have never considered them unlucky. Unless you count the bad luck of having to scoop the kitty litter box.  I try not to walk under ladders, but that has more to do with fear of falling paint cans than fear of bad luck.   I do cross my fingers for luck, but that is because of habit, not belief.

Although I don’t believe in superstitions, I am a very firm believer in signs.  I believe that sometimes there are things that you are meant to do and if you look closely the universe will let you know.  Heck, sometimes you don’t even have to look that closely.  Have you ever thought about relocating and suddenly the name of the town you are thinking of starts coming up everywhere you turn?  Have you thought of adopting a pet, then a stray kitten turns up on your patio? 

Sure, some people say that those kinds of things are just a coincidence.   But I believe in the magic and wonder of life and I choose to believe that there are road signs from the universe that propel us towards where we need to be.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Where Were You That Day?


It seems like every generation has their defining tragedy.  That one moment when everyone seems to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing.  For my parent’s generation it was the Kennedy assassination.  For my generation it is 9/11.
This morning at work everyone has been talking about what they were doing when they learned the towers had been hit. It is amazing that after twelve years the memories are still so crystal clear.  
I learned about it when a co-worker came out of his office and said that one of the World Trade Center towers had been hit by a plane, but that nobody knew whether it was an accident or an attack.  A few minutes later he came back out, his face completely drained of color, and said that another plane had hit the second tower.  At that moment we knew the terrible truth.  I remember the whole office going silent, completely in shock.  After that there was a flurry of activity with everyone trying to get on the internet or crowding into the offices that had radios.  I remember the frustration of not knowing what was happening, and the fear of not knowing what was to come.   Mostly I remember this terrible feeling of sorrow and vulnerability.  It was unlike anything I have ever experienced, before or since.