No, I’m not. Very superstitious, that is. (the picture is a cover of a book entitled Friday The Thirteenth, and I thought the woman looked suitably frightened.)
Although I do have to admit to a bit of trepidation when Friday the Thirteenth rolls around–I mean, when some just plain old regular days can be so stressful, what about ones that are especially unlucky? (Fear of Friday the Thirteenth is called “paraskevidekatriaphobia.” How cool is that?)
I did a bit of hunting, and found that Friday AND the number 13 are both considered unlucky, which is why the combination is supposed to be lethal.
A newspaper advertisement from 1913 encouraged people to get over their superstitions and embark on the Happiest Time Of Their Life (sarcasm intended):
WED FREE FRIDAY THE 13TH
Pastor’s Offer to Any Young Couple
Willing to Take the Chance.
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., June 10 — Any young couple bent on matrimony may have the ceremony performed free next Friday by applying to the Rev. Charles H. Reynolds, pastor of the North Congregational Church.
Mr. Reynolds does not believe that Friday is unlucky, nor that Friday, June 13, 1913, is unlucky, and therefore he offers to tie the knot free of charge for any young couple who comes to him on that day.
Imagine if you did that, what kind of courage you would have? I am not sure I would be so bold.
The only bad thing that’s happened today is that I forgot this was my day to post, but that was soon rectified. Of course, it’s always early–coffee could be banned, Clive Owen could mention he hates people who mention him constantly in their blog posts (not to mention have them as their screensaver), maybe wearing the color black all the time would suddenly be linked to being secretly snarky–oops.
Anyway, what superstitions do you have? How are you doing today?
Today, I’m trying to make a decision. I hate making decisions. Maybe you all can tell me what I should do. 🙂
On Sunday, I can:
1) Go to a fun and inexpensive SF media fan convention, and hear actors from Battlestar Galactica and Buffy and Harry Potter speak, and hang out with other geeks, and buy stuff; (BTW, this may have relevance to my writing because the novels I’m working on now are about teen geeks);
2) Go to my local RWA meeting, which will have a talk which might be useful to my writing or might not, see friends and network and give a little committee report which is due;
3) Try to do both, and probably end up doing both very badly.
Okay, go ahead, laugh, but this constitutes a major moral dilemma for me. 🙂
Cara
Poor Cara! Decisions, decisions! All I can think is that you’re the one who has to live with the decision. However, I will suggest you flip a coin (head-SF tails-RWA) and if you’re disappointed by the outcome, then do what you really want to do! Life’s too short!
I lost all fear of Friday the 13th when I lived through it twice. I watched the sun rise and set in the Orient and then rise and set in the US compliments of flying from Thailand to AZ. Got to love that international dateline. It was an uneventful trip, and viola! No fear of Friday the 13th. The sunsets were both gorgeous!
Cara, Go to the SF convention!!!! Duh. Whatever you would learn at the RWA meeting you’ll have another chance of learning, but nobody should pass up a chance to have fun!
Judy T! I’ve missed you. What a wonderful memory to have. Two sunsets!!
The convention, of course! You’ll learn so much more while having fun than you’ll by doing something b’cos you have to. The convention is the “want-to,” the “meeting” the “have-to.”
Mention Clive Owen in a blog and it’s your lucky day. Mention Clive Owen and Alan Rickman in a blog and the luck runneth over, complete with link to both of them together in a pic!
http://www.rickmanistareview.com/cme.html
And as long as I’m in celebrity-land, I think the frightened woman in the painting looks like Joan Cusack.
Have a good one!
PS to Cara, duty clearly calls you to the Con. Research!
Thanks for the advice, everyone!
I will suggest you flip a coin (head-SF tails-RWA) and if you’re disappointed by the outcome, then do what you really want to do!
Ooh, Judy, you’re wise!
You know, I think my mom unintentionally uses that system. I remember her asking me “which of these dresses do you like better on me?” and I was saying “I don’t know, either one” and she’d say “really, which on do you like better?” and I’d finally say “the red one” and she’d say “Well, I think I’m going to get the green one anyway.” So why’d you ask??? 🙂
Maybe she felt a little disappointed when I said “red” and so knew which she liked better! 🙂
Cara
Nah, she looks like Scully from The X-Files to me! And that woman had AWFUL luck!
Nah, she looks like Scully from The X-Files to me!
That’s just what I was thinking, Anna! (Great minds think alike!) 🙂
Cara
Well, I guess you’ve already decided, so I’ll just wait until you mention what you did. LOL 🙂
Lois
Well, I guess you’ve already decided, so I’ll just wait until you mention what you did.
Okay, Lois! I decided to go to the beginning of my RWA meeting, so I could say hi to people and give my committee report, and then I ran away and went to the con. 🙂
And Jamie Bamber is cool. (This is a very on-Regency-topic message, as he was in Horatio Hornblower!) 🙂
Cara