I’m Not Superstitious
I just had an interesting debate with myself.
I was walking down 29th street between 5th & 6th on my way to work. 29th has a lot of tiny little junk shops on that block. Barely more than kiosks, these 6 x 10 little stores carry all sorts of knick-knacks and chotchkes, from cheap clothing to generic toys, electronics, and forged perfumes.
It’s a beautiful day today. The morning was mild and clear with a freshness to the air thanks to last night’s rain, and the kind of unseasonable warmth that makes you really appreciative, even if it’s still only 45 degrees. I had my iPod on, of course. It’s my best friend as I traverse NYC, blocking out all the honking and panhandling and sirens, giving me a controlled auditory input that helps keep me centered.
So there I am, centered, calm, and in a good mood for once, when I encounter… a ladder.
A bit anticlimactic, I know.
Anyway, there’s this long metal ladder leaning against one of the buildings in front of me. Some guy is up on it, cleaning the awning of his shop. The feet of the ladder are exactly halfway out onto the sidewalk, so there is equal space on either side. I’m a good half a block away.
So I say to myself, “Ha! If I was superstitious, I would be afraid to walk under that ladder.”
Then I think, “I should walk right under that ladder, just to show how superstitious I am not.”
But show to who? I am alone. Am I worried that random passerby will snort in derision if I avoid walking under the ladder? Or that they will be impressed with how evolved I am if I dare to pass under?
“All things being equal,” I say to myself, “it doesn’t matter which side I walk on. So I should just follow my normal course.”
But of course, I am walking in the center of the sidewalk, so my normal course would be to walk right into the ladder, which, superstition or not, would be a bad idea, especially with someone on it.
So what do I do? I am amazed at the sudden importance this decision has to me. Bad luck is the farthest thing from my mind, and yet I suddenly feel like I am being tested somehow, and it’s a trick question.
Then I think, “But all things aren’t equal after all. There is someone actually on the ladder. Someone holding tools. Is not wanting to walk under it a result of superstition or just common sense? Should I do something my gut tells me is dumb just because I feel like I have to prove something to the ether? Nonsense.”
So I walked around it.
But I’m not superstitious.