Tendencies vs superstitions

I personally do not buy into superstitions at all. To me they are a farce. An excuse for when things go bad. I DO however notice tendencies. For instance, if I am sitting in the living room watching the football game and things are going well and then go into the bedroom to continue watching. If at this point my team begins playing like crap, does that mean me going into the bedroom caused my team to start playing like crap? No. Of course not! To think so would be nothing short of absurd! However, noticing the tendency of my team playing better while I am in the living room? That just makes sense. That is just being in tune with the universe.

I simply choose to go back into the living room NOT because I am superstitious, I just think I am more comfortable in there is all. I am simply acknowledging and noticing the tendency of my team to play badly while I am sitting in my bedroom.

I do have one major exception to the rule though. One case where I DO freely admit to being a bit superstitious. Back in 1986 my Boston Redsox were in the world series and on the verge of winning it for the first time in like 80 years. They were about to put an end to all the ludicrous talk about 'curse of the bambino' and such. They were about to put an end to one of the longest streaks of futility in sports history.

The years of agony caused by Bucky "bleeping" Dent was on the verge of disappearing. It was a shoe in. It was in the book. I began making mental notes of all the people I was going to call and rub it in. I was going to call each of my friends who often asked 'how on earth do you stick by that team?" I was going to call Uncle Brian the die hard yankee fan who had been giving me grief since he was bouncing me on his knee in diapers.

Just to clarify, that was ME in diapers not Uncle Brian. He IS a Yankee fan, but he isn't THAT wierd! Anyways, I would call him at two in the morning, wait till he got on the phone, scream "SCREW the Bambino!" as loud as I could and hang up without another word.

Phrases like "bleeping" Bambino were about to come to an end.
Phrases like Bucky "bleeping" dent were about to go with it.

A few minutes later Bill Buckner, approached a slow rolling grounder which would end the game. As a tee ball coach for years I have seen countless 7 year olds make that play. Yet it went right between his legs. I am not sure exactly what happened next since my remote control went sailing aross the room and shattered the screen of my television. I do know

Instead of going away as I had envisioned "The bleeping Bambino' was a phrase that seemed to grow even stonger.

Instead of going away, "Bucky Bleeping dent" gained even more momentum.

And now, Bill "bleeping" Buckner was added to the list of phrases every Bosox fan knew quite well.

I do know they ended up losing and I had to wait through another 18 years of misery to end my pain.

Call it superstition or whatever else you choose to call it. In 2004, I do know I made a conscious effort NOT to count my chickens before they hatched.

NOT to think of rubbing it in to ANYONE.

NOT to make any plans of how to celebrate in any way shape or form. And most of all,

NOT to have my remote control any where NEAR arm's length.

Superstitions? Silly!

Noticing tendencies? Smart!

For more posts about "Superstitions" this week's Sunday scribblings prompt, please click here.

BD