LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Last Wednesday evening, my granddaughter Hannah decided she would be a good sport and wash my van. With just a smither of rainfall over the past few weeks, and three-digit heat, I readily agreed. First of all, my gold van was more brown than gold, coated with dust from the dry weather. Secondly, usually every time I wash my van we get rain and if that tradition upheld, it was a rain that has been long overdue for this area. I was more than willing to sacrifice a mud-splattered vehicle if the dying grass, flowers and garden crops could be revived.

Despite the fact that the wash jobs on my vehicles result in rain within two days afterward, I wasn’t aware that washing a car will bring rain is a long-time superstition. After doing some research, I learned that many things I was told and taught during my childhood are actually based on superstitions.

One I was unaware of is if the bottom of your foot itches, you will be taking a trip. Should that hold true, I should be a world traveler by now with this ongoing circulation problem with my left leg.

Walking under a ladder, considered bad luck, is also dangerous, as the ladder could fall and cause injury or someone on the ladder could fall and get an injury.

If a bird flies in your window, it is considered bad luck and if a dog howls, then superstition suggests that death is near.

My neighbors on all sides have dogs, some of whom do howl all night long. Being a heavy sleeper most of the time, it usually doesn’t bother me although when the howling is incessant, it does cause some disruption.

But these superstitions haunt me with questions. If dogs howling mean death is near, whose death? A death connected with the owner, death to anyone in the range of hearing the howling, or death of the animal (probably when someone going without sleep for nights and nights shoots it)?

If a bird flies in through your window, it brings bad luck. Recently a bird got inside my house, causing Hannah a major panic complete with screaming and running out the door. While I pursued the bird, I slid on its fresh deposit in my living room floor, probably a result of its own panic when Hannah began screaming.

Most recently, I’ve had a problem with my left hand itching. I can recall specifically being told that itching of the right hand means “you’ll shake hands with a stranger,” especially since handshakes occur with the right hand. But I diligently try to keep faith in the superstition that itching of the left hand means I’ll be coming into some money. With paydays every two weeks, expecting money is not unfamiliar but my right hand has been itching consistently for several weeks between paydays, so I’m still awaiting that unexpected money.

However, with the bird recently getting inside my house and Friday the 13th approaching this Friday, I’m hoping for the money to get here before more bad luck does.



njohnson@sentinel-echo.com