I Believe in Superstition by Alyssa B.
Little things stick with you as you age. Whether it's punching your sibling in the arm
every time a Volkswagen Beetle whips by or throwing out every single white lighter you see,
some seem more vital than others. I believe in superstitions. I believe that wood needs to be
knocked on and pennies should be picked up… if they’re heads up, of course.
When I was young, my grandma was always very superstitious. I remember the warm
summer afternoons on her porch, listening to her reprimand me and my brother for targeting
daddy longlegs. She’d always say, “If you kill one of them it’s gonna rain, I’m just warning ya.”
Even things as insignificant as tipping over the salt or breaking a mirror were always followed by
warnings of bad luck and misfortune. All of this planted the seed of superstition that grew within
me. But I was more interested in the ones that brought good luck.
My grandma loved to play outside with us, and many days were spent walking around
the trailer park. Almost every time, there would be at least one penny lying helpless in the dirt
roads. As a child, I wanted to pick up everyone, but there was a rule. “Find a penny, pick it up, if
heads up, you’ll have good luck.” If I would find one head down, my gram would have me flip it
over for the next person to come and find it. Those days where I would find a new lucky penny,
were some of the best days of my life. This has become a habit that I have yet to break,
even as an adult. I started keeping at least one lucky penny in my purse at all times.
I don’t remember where I learned it, but this superstition has definitely saved me a few
times. Everyone has jinxed themselves before. Maybe you were doing really well at a game or
you were hoping something wouldn’t happen, then you start talking about it and you mess up or
the thing happens? There’s an easy solution. Find the nearest wooden object or tree around
you and start knocking. This is something I believe in religiously. Even if I am in the car with
some friends, if they say something that might jinx our trip, I make them stop the car. I’ve made
my friend Gavin stop his van plenty of times over this. I step out of the car and will not get back
in until I see every passenger get out and knock on a tree or discarded branch, or even a
telephone pole. On the occasions where I can't find wood or they won’t stop the car, the bad
juju always caught up with us. But it never happened when I was able to knock.
Superstitions have played a big role in my life and shaped how I am today. Though they
may seem insignificant, I believe they bring good luck and fortune.
