Have you ever had a big secret that you’re just dying to share with everybody?
Something exciting and scary and enticing – just waiting for the right time to find its way into the world?
You know I’ll jump at every opportunity to post a showtune, so enjoy the song and stay tuned because…
Something’s coming! Something good!
It’s Friday the 13th!
There are a lot of superstitious people out there. Although I do prescribe to the ‘don’t walk under ladders’ and smash mirrors rule (because that’s just a bad idea on a good day), that’s more out of self preservation than a sense of dreaded superstition.
Most superstitions arose centuries ago, when people lived closer to the land and observed nature’s cycles a little more carefully. Because of this, a lot of them revolve around nature and animals. (Giving some unwilling participants a bad reputation to boot!)
So, in honor of Friday the 13th, I give you the top 5 nature superstitions:
5 – Knock on wood. Even I do this without thinking of it. If you’re worried about something awful happening, you can ‘touch wood’ to ward off bad luck or evil consequences. Although this one’s debated, most scholars belief that ‘touch wood’ arose back when people believed trees contained spirits and magical powers which could help you if asked. For the record, I definitely think trees have magical powers. 
4 – Avoid peacock feathers. I hadn’t heard of this one until recently. The legend says that the eye of the feather was seen as ‘the evil eye’. The evil eye is capable of making people sick and many went to great lengths to avoid it. Some talismans still exist to ward it off, but let’s just say if you go chasing a peacock for its tail feather you just might get more than you bargain for.
3 – Rabbit’s feet. When I was younger, I remember rabbit’s feet being a really big thing. People had them on key chains, dyed in tacky colors. These are said to bring good luck, as long as they came from the left hind foot. Because some cultures believed witches were able to shapeshift into rabbits, the rabbit’s foot idea might have originated as ‘cut from a shapeshifted witch’. Lovely…
2 – Black cats. This one’s a toss up. Some cultures believe if you see a black cat crossing your path, you might as well call it a day, because it’s bound to get a lot worse. Other cultures see black cats as good omens or signs of great things to come. In some areas, we can look again to witches for giving the black cat a bad rap. But in Egypt, these guys were seen as ‘kingly creatures’, who were given their own burial and coffin after they died. I personally think all cats are bad luck, but only for my sinuses.
1 – Eclipses. No, I’m not talking about the latest vamp movie. Eclipses have been known as terrible omens for centuries, associated with the death of kings or problems for the commoners. It’s easy to understand why it was terrifying – watching the sun or moon get engulfed in darkness in a time when we didn’t have the benefit of NASA would be quite an experience Today, with eclipses known ahead of time, we’ve grown a lot less fearful of bad luck. Not that I want to go messing with the Sun Gods or anything…
So, are you superstitious?
Or maybe just, a little stitious? 
Here’s a song that’s guaranteed to give you good luck all day! Keep it wild!
Nobody does epic like Al Pacino.
I came across this video during my ‘net travels, but after watching it, something about the message stuck with me.
Maybe it will stick with you too.
The following is a speech by Pacino, from the movie Any Given Sunday. (Perhaps my sports fan readers will perk up at that title?)
It’s a movie about football, but bear with me. He’s motivating his team for their last game, but when I first heard it, I couldn’t help but notice something. I was struck by how powerful the words were when not related to football.
Put your feet up, grab a drink and check out the video first – I’ll see you below. (Note for parents with kiddos nearby: he drops the f-bomb, once.) I’ve copied the transcript below for those without a steady connection.
“I don’t know what to say really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives. It all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch at a time.
Now I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around, I see these young faces, and I think… I mean I’ve made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me, and lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know when you get old in life, things get taken from you. That’s part of life. But you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. And so is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean… one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow too fast, you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the f***ing difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I’ll tell you this — in any fight, its the guy whose willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m going to have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what living is! The 6 inches in front of your face…
Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him.
That’s a team, gentlemen. And either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die, as individuals. That’s football, guys. That’s all it is. Now, what are you going to do?”
——
Pretty good, eh? Think about it.
Of course, this post isn’t about football. It’s about doing something right, doing something together to change the course our planet is on. There are a lot of causes out there. People, places and animals that need some help. We’re losing things that matter to our health and to our spirit. It’s not all bad – but the fact remains that without a lot of positive changes, we’re going to lose out.
Al’s message is about picking one thing – or one hundred things – one inch or one hundred – that you will do to add your part for the team.
Then it’s about acting on it.
Some people take their inch by bringing kids closer to nature. Some write books, create art or even commandeer a bus to deliver local, healthy food to people who can’t get it. Sometimes they become famous for it, but normally it’s an unglamorous yet steady, consistent effort to do their part.
So say it again: Either we heal as a team, or we die as individuals.
We are all surrounded by other people – willing to go the extra mile, right along with you. We have the tools in front of us to make real things happen for the earth.
We can do this thing, inch by inch.
So to quote my man Al, “Now, what are you going to do?“
