There are three Friday the 13ths in 2012, one is today. There was only one last year. It’s something about ’13’ and something about ‘Friday’ that when you put them together, it’s a bit spooky. No real reason why, I’m not superstituous one little bit, except when I come to think about it, I am in a sense.
Not really superstitious, it’s more that (like most people I suspect) I have my ways of doing things, and over time the rhythms of doing things the same way builds a comfort that creates confidence and perhaps performance. It feels ‘right’, and often that is what makes you relax, and when you’re relaxed (yet alert) you perform better. Whether at work or in sport, I actually find myself doing certain things in order (which might look like superstitions to the outsider) but are just the customary ways I put my pads on, or open my blinds before firing up my computer every morning, or left sock on before right, or prepare to make that crucial putt, or whatever.
Some hotels refuse to have a 13th floor, or a 4th (4 meaning death in Asian languages, while there will be a rush on a car number plate with an ‘8’ in it). That maybe going overboard, but if no one is to book into the 13th, or 4th floor, maybe this is just sound business sense. I don’t walk under a ladder, mainly for safety reasons, but you won’t find me hopping from one leg to another when the score is 111, or 87 (the devil’s number less than a 100).
I survived this Friday 13th without any mishaps. In fact it was quite an enjoyable day overall. I hope you were all safe and sound too. And, by the way, the next Friday 13th is in April, and then another one in July.
