Well, I have always tried to completely ignore it, just as I purposely walk on cracks...YES I DO!, because I have this theory that if you don't believe in superstitious beliefs, they will not affect you in any way...
When I was a kid, staying overnight at a slumber party, and other kids or sometimes their older siblings started telling scary stories, (you know...like the one about the couple at "make-out point", that are almost attacked by a "run away insane asylum maniac", with a hook arm, and they somehow escape him, but find an arm with a hook attached to the car door when they get out....something like that..) Well the point is that I was the kid that would make a joke after the story or do an imitation of the hook arm guy, just to make light of it and to act like it didn't scare me...
To this day, I still think nothing of watching a frightening film at night, completely alone in the house...As a matter of fact I did that very thing for awhile this evening.. (speaking of which, "The Shining" is JUST not as riveting when it's interrupted by commercials....)
I didn't work today, (yes, a call at 5 am, and even though I could use the money, SUCH a relief.) I really did not realize that it was Friday the 13th, until I noticed that a lot of television stations were running scary movies, etc.
I then decided to do a little research concerning the origin of the whole "Friday the 13th" deal, and I found some interesting facts that I will share with you....
Most of what I found was in an article by Jon Bowen who REALLY did a lot of research on the subject..
The first thing that I learned is that people who are terrified by the number "13" (and it appears that there are more people than one might think), are called "triskaidekaphobics"....
Wow...tough to spell, harder yet to pronounce, I might just tell people if I had that, that I was diagnosed with "numero13aphobia"...Okay, corny, but at least I could pronounce it...
Okay, here come the creepy facts...The British Medical Journal did a research study on admission to the hospital resulting from car accidents and found that Friday the 13 is "unlucky for some, and staying home is recommended," because admission from accidents turned out to be 52 % greater..Other facts are that buildings don't have a 13th floor, many hotels don't have a room 13, many cities do not have a 13th street, and legend has it that if your name has 13 letters in it "you will have the devil's luck" (right...whatever that is)..Now,this IS a bit creepy...Jack The Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, and Albert De Salvo (Boston Strangler), all have 13 letters in their name...( I know what you're doing...you're counting!)
Lastly, a story about the Legend that " Ships that sail on Friday will have bad luck", was attempted to be put to rest by the British Government, 100 years ago...They commissioned a ship called the "H.M.S. Friday." The ship was launched on a Friday, the crew was selected on a Friday, and they even hired a captain named Jim Friday. The ship left on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again....So much for squelching superstitious legends.
Well, are we all set for tomorrow's Hallmark event? I mean, Valentine's Day? The first comment is obviously from a bitter woman who has not received a Valentine for at least a decade now...How I have gone on with my life, God only knows...but don't think it's easy....
Another little bit of trivia for you...Valentine's Day is the SECOND biggest day in the restaurant business..wanna know the first?...Mother's Day! Yeah, and speaking from a Mother, it should be...It's a lot harder to be a Mother than a Lover...trust me on this....Until tomorrow....
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