Friday, March 13, 2009

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?

12 comments:

  1. I used to be creeped out about the day - especially after the movies were made about it - until I came to the realization that superstitions only have power if you believe in them and live your life accordingly. If you're not superstitious, then they lose their power. Slightly off topic, two of my sisters consider Friday the 13th to be a good luck day for them.
    Margay

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  2. People tend to forget that if it was Friday 13th in January it will also be Friday 13th in February. To me if things are manea to happen they willand you can't really stop some them. Sure I don't walk under ladders but that is plain safety reasons.
    Any way it is already the 14th so let's pretend that we are living there, and all will be okay...Knock on wood
    Storyheart

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  3. I've never been a superstitious person. I take Friday the 13th and have fun with it, blaming little things on the day, but for the most part it's just another day!

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  4. Hi Dorothy :D

    i am not superstitious, but.............yesterday my pc CRASHED!!! I had to reformat (thank God for reformating) which means I was back with a factory new PC. I was so afraid I'd lost all the pics on my blog, but with blogger this did not happen even so they where gone from my pc. So I am happy about this.
    I am going a bit oriental crazy on my blog, hope it looks all right, I like it. Anyway I had to reset my modem, I am connected through broadband with ESVA.net in Nassawadox, Thom Henderson helped me by phone to reset my highspeed internet, nice guy. When Verizon had no more high speed ports open in Cape Charles, Esva.net did, just a little pub. for their great one on one service.

    I wish you a great sunday

    Sylvie

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  5. i WISH i had the luxury of locking myself in! sigh... no Fri. 13th bugaboos to get me -- :)

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  6. Thank God I'm reading this on the 14th and the day's already past!

    So far the worst that happened to me on the 13th was staying up til 1 am to work on my taxes, then having to do more on them today. Found out after going to the accountant, I need to add up all the money we spent for the DH's Cobra plan, plus all my physical therapy for my rotator cuff injury last year (something I'll blog about some time), eyeglasses and anything else medical we can think of, just in case it turns out to be enough to qualify as a deduction. I'll do anything to save a little money, so I'm off to the checkbook and to the credit card receipts later tonight or tomorrow morning.

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

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  7. I've always had great Friday the 13th, often finding money. Fridays are great: period.
    Eight Women Dream

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  8. I had no idea that putting hangers on doorknobs was supposed to be bad luck--I do it all the time. I'm not the least big superstitious--though I do quote a lot of things my mom used to say. Like don't tell a dream before you eat breakfast or it'll come true. My dreams are so weird there's no way they could come true.

    Fun post.

    Marilyn
    a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

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  9. Ok, why not hang coat hangers on the doorknob?! I have never heard this, but do it constantly when I am doing the laundry - I hang my daughter's shirts up and hang them on the doorknob until I get to putting them in her closet.
    To me, Friday the 13th is no more superstitious than any other day. I am always "knocking on wood", won't go under ladders and do the sign of the cross when a black cat crosses my path, lol. I have always had a very active 6th sense and it seems being superstitious on a daily basis goes along with that, lol.

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  10. I got hit by an asshole at a stop light ready to go straight and then they jumped the gun behind me and plowed into my new car when the left turn signal went off and they weren't paying attention and drove into the back of my car..I asked her "if the light was green, was she going to run over me anyway?"..she had no insurance and the cops were too busy to come out so now I have to go to small claims court to sue for the damages as the owner will not contact me, thinking I will go away.........Friday the 13th!

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  11. Nick...nooooo...are you serious????

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  12. Oh, way serious.........that on top of 3 other lawsuits......2 for my wife that broke her back and kneecap at work that her Nazi employer is fighting and another one against my mortgage company for fraud...I'm not in foreclosure, they f...d up real bad and they are trying to screw us.......so things are insane right now........to say the least You can go to http://vegasvig.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/mortgage-fraud-press-release/
    to get the whole story..........it just isn't stopping......

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