Aug 1

Written by: Skeptic
8/1/2007 7:00 AM

At my local humanists meet up (www.meetup.com) last week one of the questions that was asked around the room of mostly self described atheists was; "Are there any superstitions that you still hang on to in life?" Most had at least one or two unfounded beliefs which they likely knew not to be true but still followed. One guy stated that he would never let a black cat cross his path.

I on the other hand over the past 3 or 4 years have consciously pushed superstition from my life. Ever since reading The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan, I have made an actual effort to not practice unreasonable behaviour. I have gone so far as to purposely walk under a ladder, maybe just to annoy those who think it will have some effect on me, I'm not really sure. I have also allowed a black cat to cross my path and was even somewhat pleased when my daughter’s soccer team handed her number 13 this year.  You see I was above all that mumbo jumbo,. I have even given up reading my horoscope, even if I am on the horoscope page. This was conscious at first but now I don’t even care what my horoscope says.

Then this morning while walking to the mailbox something terrible happened. There in front of me on the road, maple leaf side up was a shiny 2000 Canadian penny. Without a thought I stopped, picked it up and put it in my pocket.  As I continued on my way it occurred to me what I had done. I had actually picked it up because it is considered unlucky to not pick it up. I could lie to you right now and say I picked it up because it is money but no. I cannot do anything with that penny, I'm not even sure if there are still penny gumballs and I am not the type to dig for 3 pennies while buying a coffee. I just hand over the nickel and take the change.

So there you have it, I am still living in this demon haunted world, seeing parts of my life through the eye of unreason. But rest assured that the very next time I see a penny I will still pick it up, though this time it will be because it is money.

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