Angel of Death

2005-11-02 - 6:21 a.m.

Upbeating

You scored as James Bond, Agent 007. James Bond is MI6's best agent, a suave, sophisticated super spy with charm, cunning, and a license to kill. He doesn't care about rules or regulations and is somewhat amoral. He does care about saving humanity though, as well as the beautiful women who fill his world. Bond has expensive tastes, a wide knowledge of many subjects, and he's usually armed with a clever gadget and an appropriate one-liner. James Bond, Agent 007 79% Lara Croft 75% Batman, the Dark Knight 75% William Wallace 63% Captain Jack Sparrow 54% The Terminator 54% El Zorro 54% Maximus 54% Indiana Jones 46% Neo, the "One" 33% The Amazing Spider-Man 29% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Kevin, I misunderstood your intentions when you posted that reply to me - so fugeddaboudit, babe, everything's cool on this end, hope the same goes for you.

Ugh. Despite muttering "whiterabbitswhiterabbitswhiterabbits" first thing yesterday morning, I managed to have the electric window on my car fail, a sizeable but not crippling discrepancy in my bank account (not in my favour, natch), extra-special-good arm pain (I feel like I've gone backwards to two years ago before the physical therapy started working), and I almost pulled a file cabinet down on my head.

I'm hoping that I used up my entire run of bad luck for the month on the first day, because if this is how it's going to be for the whole month, I'm hosed, and I will never mutter to the little white rabbits again.

Superstition - I can't help it, it's a race memory or something. Every English person I've ever known has been madly superstitious, even if they don't make a big deal about it.

Does anyone remember the movie "The Relic"? The museum that was under attack from the big scary ol' monster was having its opening night party for an exhibit on superstition; they had to walk under ladders to get to the exhibit, there were broken mirrors and opened umbrellas, and other things that make people slightly uneasy all around.

Dude, I *so* wouldn't be able to go anywhere near that show. I spit when I see a single magpie (very discreetly into my palm), I throw spilled salt over my shoulder, I recite mantras at the beginning of the month and the year. If the first butterfly I see that day is yellow, I'm happy, because yellow butterflies are good luck. I've added seeing groundhogs as a personal good-luck token, too.

I wish on the first star of the evening and shooting stars (the Perseids and the Leonids are good times for bulk wish-making), I pick up pennies (heads or tails, it's a penny, and I'm going to pick it up) and pins (the older version of the same superstition), and I keep all my fortunes from fortune cookies. I won't talk when driving under bridges (and if I do, I keep my fingers crossed), and I *hate* driving under bridges when a train is crossing.

I never open an umbrella indoors; heck, I got uneasy when I was sewing lace onto my Victorian parasol, because it had to be open while I worked on it.

It's hell, I tell you.

I am generally (yesterday apparently being a serious off-day) a big optimist; I honestly believe that everything will work out okay in the end. It may not happen exactly how I planned it, but I will generally benefit from whatever happens, even if it doesn't seem like so much fun at the time.

(I'm not sure how having my car window break and trying to pull a file cabinet onto myself will work out okay, but I have faith that it will - with possibly a new car - and have you seen the new Solstice? It's pretty.)

(uh, yeah. Anyway.)

Stuff just works out, you know? I suppose it's really one of those chicken-or-the-egg things - if I expect things to work out okay, then they generally will, because I'm focusing on the positive rather than the negative, but I think it's more than that. With the exception of electronic appliances (which hate me), I've had tremendously good luck in my life. Everything I've wanted, I've achieved sooner or later, and the wishes I've made all come true eventually.

(I'm still wishing for that big lottery win, but I have faith - I won $100 on a scratch-off ticket once.)

I suppose I could look at things differently - I have arm pain that prevents me from doing stuff (or just makes me cranky - sorry, Kevin), and a whole host of other problems that could turn me into a bitter semi-old woman. It's easy (as far as I can tell) to slip into a permanently negative way of looking at the world and life.

But when you expect bad things to happen, they do. And who needs that? In a way, it's a little like Pascal's wager - you may as well believe. I lose nothing by believing that things will work out well, and since I'm in a positive frame of mind, it's easier to see the good stuff.

After all, James Bond always seems to luck out.

I prefer rum and diet coke, though. Gin doesn't do it for me.

Dorsal - Ventral

Funnier than me: James Lileks

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