Very Superstitious | Playgroups are No Place For Children

June 19, 2008 | Filed in: Quirky Me, confession

I fully admit to being sassy, self-centered, bossy, opinionated, and quirky.

Go ahead and add superstitious to the list of adjectives and you have a fairly complete picture of me on any given day.

I’m one of those people who whenever I hear of another’s tragedy, I think to myself, “That could be me.” I feel like if I can imagine myself in the tragedy, then it WON’T happen to me. It seems like whenever you hear about something awful happening, the victim says “I never thought something like this would happen to me,” so by thinking it COULD happen to me is like some sort of bubble barrier against the big, bad, scary world.

I knock on wood. A LOT.

On our wedding day, I refused to let Tate see me before the wedding. I know lots of couples have pictures taken before the wedding for convenience or because they have to vacate the church/synagogue/hall right after the wedding. I would have MOVED the location of my wedding if I would have had to see Tate before the wedding.

We got married at 4:30 in the afternoon on the UPswing of the clock. I didn’t want to start our life together on the DOWNswing of the clock’s hands.

It occurs to me when I’m walking on a sidewalk that I should avoid the cracks. I mean, I don’t want a broken back since I’m a MOTHER now you know.

I would never purposely open an umbrella in a house, nor would I ever walk under a ladder. That’s just ASKING for trouble.

If I see a penny? I pick it up!! And all day long? I have good luck!

There are superstitions that to me are just plain silly (unlike those above because THOSE!, those are NECESSARY.) I don’t eat black-eyed peas for luck on New Year’s Eve because, EWWWW! I don’t believe that not sending chain letters or those RIDICULOUS chain emails will bring me bad luck. Friday the 13th doesn’t scare me, neither do black cats.

What are you superstitious about?

Share with others

My first thought was that I’m not really very superstitious, but I definitely do think that any tragedy could happen to me, and I do knock on wood (and then make a lame knocking motion at my head as if that was ever funny or clever after the first time, but it will have to do when there just isn’t any wood in the vicinity…) pretty much all day, every day. I’m not superstitious about specific things, but more in general. Does that make me paranoid? Gosh, now I’m scared I might be paranoid. Thanks.
Maggie’s Minds last blog post..One Year

I do all the same things as you. Well, except for the 4:30 thing.

Never even occurred to me.

Crap. Now is my marriage doomed?

Headless Moms last blog post..How many days until school starts again?

Remember if you pick up a penny and it was heads down, then it’s BAD luck!

Oh and Karma.

Jens last blog post..The Ants Go Marching One by One Hoorah, Hoorah!

“If I see a penny? I pick it up!! And all day long? I have good luck!”

I’m with you sister.

Mama DBs last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Through the Grapevine

Read Water for Elephants next, BTW. It is FABULOUSLY AMAZING.

I do most of the same things as you. The other one that my son and husband think is hysterically funny is that I have a total fit if someone puts new shoes on a table ….

I didn’t know the time thing though …

for me its all about the IF I CAN NOT ENVISION IT—-ITS NEVER HAPPENING.

which I later learned is part of the law of attraction—-but still…

At work (ambulances) it’s considered fatally bad luck to describe a shift as “quiet”. It’s similar to “MacBeth” in the theatre, we refer to it as “The q word”.

Kals last blog post..Bloody hell.

I’m not too superstitious. I do sometimes think that bad things come in threes though.

wrights last blog post..Wordless Wednesday - Splendor In The Grass

Friday the 13th creeps me out. Just went to a wedding last friday (13th) and go figure, they had a torrential rain on their tent party….

oh, and I think full moons make women go in to labor…

DesignHER Mommas last blog post..Wordless Wednesday - Our bird bath

wright, I didn’t even THINK of the rule of 3’s!!! I’m very superstitious about that when it comes to bad things.

DesignHer Momma, our wedding rehearsal was on Friday the 13th! I did our rehearsal invitation in that theme…it was made funnier because of my husband’s REAL name….

I am very superstitious. I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

Friday the 13th scares the HELL out of me!

Didn’t know the time thing…good thing our wedding started 30 minutes late.

Connies last blog post..The Summer Quilt

Holy crap, you mean the clock has something to do with marriage? I never knew! I got married at 8 pm. No darn wonder! Lots of things are making sense now. A downward swing of the clock AND we took our pictures before the ceremony.

Queen of Shake Shakes last blog post..Flat Buns vs. Cellulite - The Next Great Marital Debate

Reading about other people’s tragedy makes me think God is preparing me to experience my own-that it isn’t by chance that I find it and read it. Is that crazy? I am so scared, all the time. Staying in the house so much, I have begun to fear going out at all. I might get car jacked, you know. I might get held up at the gas station, I might get into an accident -cuh-razy stuff like that! My mind starts fearing these things and playing out entire scenarios before I even pull out of the garage. The longer I am inside the worse it gets.

mandys last blog post..No news…

I do that first thing, too… Where you think about all the awful things that could happen so they won’t. SO me. Anyway, I just read this article yesterday, and it talks about WHY we do this sort of thing… Very interesting.

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20080225-000003.html

How’s the Hoof & Mouth Disease?

Amy

Amys last blog post..Claire’s Turn

The number 13 never sits well with me.
I was born on the 7th, so that’s my number.

I used to care about broken mirrors, walking under ladders, black cats, etc. but not anymore. I guess I just got too busy to remember to care about that stuff.

PS Jennifer-do you know why the “CommentLuv” isn’t working on my comments this week? Is it something I said?!?

I’m not very superstitious about things, although I am always knocking on wood for one thing or another. But when I worked in a hospital, we were VERY superstitious and there were several words that were not allowed to be said, for fear of what it might cause to happen.

Words like QUIET and BORING….because without fail, the second those words were uttered, all HELL would break loose. Seriously…it never failed…

Maggies last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Say Cheese!

Everything. I fall for ALL that stuff.

Greta/Does This Blog Make Us Look Fats last blog post..Push Ups (From the Best of Kiki)

I’m cracking up over the Friday the 13th & the name. HAHA. I was once a bit afraid of Friday the 13th, but when the baby came on the 13th, I began to see it as a good day. And, I didn’t see hubby before the wedding, even though I actually wanted to do the pictures that way. Made me mad that I got lousy pictures and he & the groomsmen got pretty ones outside. I would never break a mirror. I do knock on wood. And, about the penny: you aren’t suppose to pick it up if it’s on tales.

Anglophile Football Fanatics last blog post..Monkey Business

I have my own superstitions…like not borrowing trouble. It is one thing to plan for the worst, it is quite another to dwell on it and let your mind run away!

I also am superstitious about my pregnancies. Pisses me off that my MIL thinks it is silly and doesn’t at least give me some common courtesy about it…talking about the baby is ok, but no real plans can be made or any baby things can be bought until the “safe point” after 6 months…she always bought things from the moment we told her we were expecting (she would go out the next day and go shopping…proof is the fact I have clothes that aren’t girl clothes now because she couldn’t wait until the ultrasound). I swear that is why I had so many issues both times!!! LOL

Another thing is gifts…certain gifts like knives can’t be given without payment…if someone gives you a knife, you have to pay them or it will cut your love or friendship in two. Also not supposed to walk with someone and have something like a post pass between you, it will cut your love in two as well…always walk on the same side around the object.

I did wear blue for me wedding…supposed to be lucky for Irish brides, no green bc it was unlucky, we were also married on the upswing of the clock! LOL The only thing was we were married on a Saturday…it wasn’t unlucky, but not lucky either…turns out it was ok since the hurricane the day before took all the bad weather with it so it was sunny that day.

There is probably a lot more but I just can’t think of them.

Sandys last blog post..Wordless Wednesday…?

I totally don’t believe in the umbrella opening in the house or the walking under a ladder. Those are just silly TO ME. My boys have played with umbrellas in the house since they figured out what they do, and I have no issue with walking under a ladder (unless, of course, something is falling from it).

That said, the bad things in 3s, the black cat walking across my path (if it isn’t 100% black it doesn’t count), and spilling the salt.

pgoodnesss last blog post..13 years

oh, and if you want superstitions? hang out with baseball players. they have more than you’ll ever believe!

pgoodnesss last blog post..13 years

I am so married to you. I call it magical thinking when my husband says if he worries about something it won’t happen…really?

HRHs last blog post..The one (and only) time Holly was a fierce camper…

I’m definitely not superstitious. My MIL has this thing about no shoes on tables - b/c of the superstitious thing, not b/c it’s just gross. I do it all the time - just to drive her crazy. I’m so terrible.

Teris last blog post..Warm Yarn-y Thoughts

I believe all three of my boys were born on or near a full moon. People think Im crazy when I say it brings the crazies out, but you can ask any person working an ER and they’ll tell you beware of the full moon.

I’m also a big believer that Karma is a *itch and then some.

um..i don’t think anything. weirdly enough.

alis last blog post..a real mystery and a question for YOU!

Not superstitious.

Kendras last blog post..Saudi

Great topic, Jennifer!
I have many of the same that you do. Especially the bad things happening. I’m a worrier.
Also, spilling the salt, and if I see three 6’s in any form, I freak. Like, if my total is that at the supermarket, I’ll buy something else just to get rid of that amount.
Reading your comments is very interesting, too. I’ve never heard of the shoe thing. What’s that about?

Jean, I didn’t believe in full moons until I worked in a school. The children were BERSERK on full moon days.

Mandy, I hadn’t heard about the shoes on the table either…I looked it up, it means death!

Here’s a link I found explaining it….
http://www.pattayaexpatsclub.com/superstitions.htm

My superstitions are very similar to yours. We got married at 2:30, Archie wasn’t allowed to see me, etc.

I have a bit of a superstition about Friday the 13th because this last one stunk for me

Umm…not black cats…

I toss spilled salt over my shoulder…I knock on wood ALL the time…

I’m sure I have many more, just can’t think of them off the top of my head

Sarahs last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #19

I’m not so much superstitious as paranoid…

Devans last blog post..In honor of my 477th post…

I ALWAYS knock wood and throw salt over my shoulder. I don’t even wanna think about what might happen if I didn’t.

Have the T-Shirts last blog post..Russert’s Rainbow

I feel the SAME WAY about bad things. That if I think about them then they won’t happen to me. At least, I did until I thought about some bad things and they happened to me anyhow. And now I’m pretty much scared that ANYTHING can happen to me. OY.

Marilyns last blog post..Repair

My superstitions mostly involve my racing… when I’m walking the course beforehand I must go through the finish lights, I HAVE to wear the “right” shoes, get my kiss from hubby before my race, and he has to say the right good luck words at the right time, or it’s all ruined. Horrible!
That said, I do knock on wood, I don’t talk about the weather if it’s good, and I strongly believe in Karma.
Briannes last blog post..Overscheduled!

Love, love, love your blog!

I am pretty superstitious myself. I always eat pork and kraut on New Years Day, and even though I pushed and pushed…my youngest still popped out at 12:46am on Friday the 13th. Boo.

brittanys last blog post..Fighting the good fight

Crap. Now I want to know your husband’s real name. (The friday the 13th thing). Oh wait. Nevermind I just figured it out. I think.

Anyway - yeah, full moons suck with kids.

At 11:11 I make a wish.

And if my ears are ringing that means someone is talking about me, if my nose is itching that means someone is thinking about me, and if my palms are itching that means I’ll somehow get more money. Too bad my palms don’t itch that much, or ever.

What else??? I never knock on wood and I purposefully step on the cracks in the sidewalks. =) And both my back and my mother’s back are just fine.

Cathys last blog post..Where the Rope Begins Again

Thanks brittany!

I’ve never heard of pork and kraut on NYE!! Does that make me weird!

I think I am the ANTI superstitious person. I purposely walk under ladders, I love Friday the 13th, my husband drove to the wedding with me, and I opened an umbrella IN my house just this morning.

And yet, I do the same thing as you and I always think “that could be me” when I hear of something bad happening. Isn’t it crazy what we do to ourselves?

MadWomanMegs last blog post..A Unique Gift

I guess I’m not very superstitious overall, but I do tend to think “That could happen to me” quite often and I also (kinda sorta) subscribe to the bad things happening in threes. The full moon thing w/kids at school? TOTALLY. That’s usually when we deal with the weird parents, too. Friday the 13th? Meh. Black cats? Double meh. (I have two of them) I did not see husband before the wedding, but that wasn’t really out of superstition.

Molly’s Moms last blog post..Reason #8,799 I shouldn’t have nice things

Ok - Now that I have had some time to think about it - no shoes on the table, no hats on the bed, if you knock over the salt shaker, you have to toss it over your shoulder for luck. Don’t walk under ladders, or let a black cat cross your path, if you get a loose eyelash, blow it away and make a wish. If someone gives you a knive, you have to pay for it, or sever your relationship, If someone gives you pearls, you have to pay for the oyster’s suffering.

When the clock reads 12:34, you can make a wish. If you cut the ribbons on the gifts at your bridal shower that;s how many kids you will have.

And my all time wacky favorite, courtesy of my Caribbean nana, if you get a pimple on your tongue, it means you told a lie!

I don’t believe all of these, but I do think twice about most of them

Dif you’re not staying with us.s last blog post..OMG, Gross

Jason! Ha!
Full Moons.. OHYES.. I worked in a surgeons office.. and whenever we got a rash of TOTALLY CRAZED OUT PATIENTS calling.. we’d check the calandar and yup, sure ‘nuf .. FULL MOON!
I (personally) have very very very strange behavior when Im *whisper* on my period.
Im bipolar.. so Im crazy by nature .. but I can look back over the YEARS and note that my most manic of manic episodes occured while on my period..
cray-zay.

Madnesss last blog post..Oh look! Its my blog

Full moon? Yup. Knocking on wood? Yup. Picking up pennies? Yes. I also wish on my eyelashes. And I try not to say bad things out loud for fear I’ll make them come true. Even though logically I know all of this is ridiculous, I still do it.

andis last blog post..That’s Queen Dumbass to You

More paranoid than superstitous.

Has anyone heard of lifting your feet going over railroad tracks?

Lynn, I haven’t thought about that for a LONG time!! When my brother was in high school, he and his friends had very elaborate rules about lifting their feet and hitting the headliner of the car…and there were more but it was too complicated.

We used to drive my poor mother crazy lifting our feet.

Saying NEVER.

Because every dang time I do - I’ve got to eat my words.

And NEVER? is NOT tasty.

Soliloquys last blog post..she was eager to stoop to his level

I love this post!

I tend to say “God forbid” or “pu pu pu” (it’s kinda like spitting) when I say something that could bring bad luck to someone. And of course, I rationally understand that I could never have that much control over anything, but I would feel so weird without saying one of those things afterwards
Marci B.s last blog post..I was wondering…

I’m pretty superstitious, ladders umbrella, etc… but my biggest ones are things I’ve kinda made up on my own

I NEVER EVER EVER EVER say the words “It can’t get any worse” ‘Cause as soon as you say it, it get worse.

And, while I have been known to call in sick even when I wasn’t I cannot bring myself to say the kids are sick if they’re not for fear that they would actually get sick…

Also, it’s not really a “superstition” but I NEVER EVER pray for patience, because I know that God will answer that prayer, but I’ll have to learn my patience - the hard way.

We used to do the railroad track thing, only we had to touch a screw somewhere in the car and lift our feet. My sis and I each knew where ALL the screws in our cars where… lol!

Yep, I’m a freak!!

Melodys last blog post.."Thank my lucky stars it’s Thursday"

I ALWAYS raise my feet when going over train tracks…even when I’m driving stick!!!

Helens last blog post..Just got back…

Y’all are making me giggle. The only think I abide by is the penny deal.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Comments protected by Lucia's Linky Love.

Nice to Meet You

I'm Jennifer, Mom to Carson, 3, and Ella, 1. Wife and Bossaholic to Tate. My claim to fame is that I'm the #2 search result on Google for "kids pooping in pools!!." You can follow me on twitter, see my stumbles at StumbleUpon, view my photos on Flickr, and contact me by email.

Back in the Day

Go shopping!

Photo holiday cards: the prettiest thing with a stamp on it.

Find an affordable selection of adorable baby bedding at Smarter.com.

Click!

Get your own flickr badge

Comment policy

Flaming
An online argument that becomes nasty or derisive, where insulting a party to the discussion takes precedence over the objective merits of one side or another (Urban Dictionary).
(Do it and I'll delete it)

Ajax CommentLuv Enabled d24c3fd0704707450ed668bb38aac8d2

Free Subscriptions!

BlogHer 09 Fund

This Savvy Quiz Sponsored By

kids' educational toys & games for math & reading skills

2008 Booklist

~~Pillars of the Earth~~ B-
~~East of Eden~~ A-
The Kite Runner
~~Memory Keeper's Daughter~~ C+
Water for Elephants
~~Nineteen Minutes~~ B-
~~HP and the Deathly Hallows~~ A++
~~Running W/ Scissors~~ A
The Rabbit Factory
Waiting for Birdy
~~Life of Pi~~ A
~~Outlander~~ A
~~Dragonfly in Amber~~ A-
~~A Tree Grows in Brooklyn~~ A+

playgroupsarenoplaceforchildren