Superstition | May Writing Challenge Day 31

Am I Superstitious?

I thought I had kicked the habit until I wrote this piece!

I love my light bulb style salt and pepper cruet set. But it was hard not to throw the spilt salt over my shoulder after taking this photo. Author’s own photo

Hang on a minute…
…I need to stand up and turn around three times before I begin.

And I might throw some salt over my shoulder for good measure, too.
(Remind me, which shoulder should it be again?)

Family history

My mum was very superstitious. I grew up hearing about several different superstitions and seeing her acting them out.

I don’t remember my dad getting involved, although it’s possible he would have avoided breaking mirrors or walking under ladders — but that seems more like common sense.

Here are my thoughts on the top ten that ChatGPT found for me

• Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.
  Yes, my mum believed this. But then again, it does seem wise to avoid walking under a ladder in case something is dropped.
• Breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.
  To this day, I’m still terrified of breaking a mirror. (I wonder what happened to the one on the dressing table I threw into a skip earlier this year…)
• Opening an umbrella indoors brings bad luck.
  This is another one that my mum believed, and it stuck with me. Having a small house makes it impractical to open an umbrella indoors, but I still don’t like doing it even if there is space.
• Friday the 13th is an unlucky day.
  My late wife was born on the 13th of the month, and I soon learned to stop talking about 13 as though it was unlucky! Sadly, however, given the fact that she died young, I could say 13 has not been a very lucky number after all.
  Friday the 13th is something else. I do notice it on the calendar, and part of me wonders if there is any truth in it. Perhaps being distracted by thinking about the date means I’m more likely to mess things up!
• Crossing paths with a black cat brings bad luck.
  I remember this one too. When I used to walk to school and college, I often saw black cats, and I would be uneasy if we crossed paths.
• Knocking on wood for good…