The Curse of Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! I'm not superstitious, so the day can come and go without worrying I'm going to fall off the face of the earth, but it reminded me of a story I'd like to share with you.

My grandmother was like me. Not superstitious except for 2 things - laying hats on beds and coat hangers on doorknobs. You could never do either or something horrible - although we knew not what - was going to happen to you before the end of the day.

But Friday the 13ths would come around, year after year, and she wasn't any more paranoid about the day than a man in the moon.

When I wasn't even born, the story goes she was upset with my grandfather because he was across the street downing a few drinks with the locals at the gas station where older men often hung out for nothing better to do. It was a small town and I don't know if it was allowed or not, but drink and carry on they did night after night.

She couldn't take it anymore and was madder than a wet hen, so she goes flying across the street to tell his ass to come home. However, she never made it. A car struck her, she ended up in the hospital and came home with a stiff leg. Back in the day, they couldn't fix it, only save it, I guess. So, she lived the rest of her life with this one stiff leg. At first when I saw it, it made me feel a little uneasy being a kid and all, but I soon got used to it. And I also found out, stiff leg and all, that woman could race you around with a wooden spoon to tan your hide faster than you could run yourself.

Years later, I was in my early teens, and still living with my grandmother, Friday the 13th rolled around. Nothing was really said about the day; we carried on as usual. I went to school and my grandmother went to work at the local hospital.

We get a call. She has fallen down and broken her good leg by slipping on something in the floor. She recovered, the leg was back to new before too long and at least didn't end up stiff like her other one.

Every since that day, Friday the 13th took on new meaning for her. I guess you have to have something bad happen to you on that day to be superstitious when it rolls around.

My grandmother isn't with us anymore, but I imagine she's up in Heaven barricaded off with clouds and whatever else you have up there in Heaven and fully avoiding coming out.

How is your Friday the 13th? Do you lock yourself inside or go out as usual thinking nothing of it?