Friday The 13th

I feel lucky today, how about you? First off, good morning, how are you?

When I turn the page on the calendar to a new month, the first thing I do is check for three things; when is the full moon, are there two this month, and is there a Friday the 13th? If there is, like today, I am very happy, because I like Friday the 13th. I also like walking under ladders and having black cats cross my path. I like the added challenge and excitement they bring to my life.

You see, I am superstitious, but just not in the way most people are. For example, I'll never utter the name of the "Scottish Play", or whistle, backstage in a theatre, for that would surely bring disaster. And I always bring my baseball glove, the one I've had since I was 13 years old, to the ball park, even though I have never caught a ball, fair or foul, and it never really helps my team win. Is that a tradition or a superstition? Not sure. But I do it.

I wear a silver St. Genesius medallion for good luck at auditions and on stage. That goes back to my days in Teen Footlighters. The medallion was given to me by my dear old friend, Mickey Henningsen. Is that a tradition or a superstition? Not sure. But I do it.

I always touch the outside of an airplane when I board, as I cross the portal from the jet way onto the aircraft, to make sure the plane is real. Is that a tradition or a superstition? Not sure. But I do it.

When I enter or exit an automobile, I alway look for open holes in the ground near the car, like sewer grates or chasms in the ground that my keys might fall in if I dropped them, and I grip the keys tightly in my hand until I'm safely in the car and the doors are closed or the doors are locked and the keys safely back in my pocket. Is that a tradition or a superstition? Not sure. But I do it.

If I see a coin on the street, I check to see if it is heads-up or tails-up before I pick it up. Is that a tradition or a superstition? Not sure. But I do it. Oh, I pick up the coin either way, but I never pick up a coin if it is less than a nickel.

But Friday the 13th to me is not an unlucky or superstitious day. It's a fun day, a lucky day. So I wish you all a lot of luck today, and always.

PS: I hope Kurt Vonnegut is safely up in heaven where he deserves a special seat of honor at The Good Guys Table. He sure was one of the good ones. Good luck up there, Kurt.