Friday The 13th

Don’t look now, but the calendar shows today is Friday the 13th. Some people become overly cautious, while others actually expect something bad will happen to them, whenever the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday. The sporadic occurrence is considered to be unlucky, but I can’t recall ever having a bad experience on a Friday the 13th, so I don’t subscribe to that pessimistic notion. Of course, I wouldn’t be caught dead wandering about Camp Crystal Lake today. Not even Superman has a chance against famed serial killer, Jason Voorhees, on Friday the 13th.

Many people are not only afraid of Friday the 13th, but they’re also fearful of the number 13 itself. That’s why some hotels and customer oriented businesses omit the thirteenth floor in their buildings. Try telling Kurt Warner that the number 13 is unlucky. I’m sure the former NFL quarterback and future Hall-of-Famer would disagree. The four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 34 champion (and MVP) wore the “cursed” number throughout his entire football career with abundant success. The number 13 also represents a baker’s dozen. How can receiving an extra cookie or doughnut, for the same price of a dozen, ever be a bad thing?

There’s really not too many things I am frightened of – not even a Trump presidency. I don’t believe in karma, coincidences, or superstitions. I’ve been known to walk under a ladder just to prove superstitions are a bunch of nonsense. Black cats and broken mirrors don’t bother me one bit. However, I’m definitely not a fan of most reptiles, and ducks simply give me the heebie-jeebies. Any living creature lacking a pair of arms is just plain creepy. God certainly showed us His sense of humor when He created our feathered “friends.”

I must admit that in the past I used to be a little superstitious when it came to sports.  I thought I could lead my favorite football team to victory by the clothes I wore during the game. If my team came away with a win then I’d try to duplicate what I had worn for the next game. Sometimes they’d win and sometimes they’d lose, so really what was the point? To think I could somehow be partially responsible for my team’s performance out on the football field, by donning a specific outfit in the comfort of my home, was a tad egotistical. Life just happens, but it’s up to us how we deal with the circumstances of the lower story. I know the upper story (God’s plan) is flawless, so regardless of what may or may not transpire today, I’ll be fine this Friday the 13th.