LUCK

    So far I have concentrated on "pretty" and given very little attention to "lucky".    Lucky, of course, being even more elusive than pretty.  We feel if we spend enough time and money and pondering on being pretty then eventually we will get it.  But luck seems like something you cannot be proactive to attain.  Luck is doled out by the gods.  It arrives out of nowhere unannounced.  It's powers are limitless yet is completely random and unexplainable.

    Lots of people have a lucky charm, lucky hat, lucky underwear!  We bestow the power of luck on almost anything that happened to be there that day when luck chose us.  ( Obviously it was the underwear I was wearing that made me win...).  but having luck is the greatest feeling in the world and we want it to happen again so we wear that underwear and wait.

    The more I think about it I have been carrying out luck rituals since I was a tiny child.  I remember rubbing my rabbits foot to help me find my shoes when I couldn't have been more than 4, I bought a Saint Christopher necklace when I was 8 and wore it every day ( I still have it), I would plan out my birthday wish for blowing out the candles weeks in advance, my lucky number has been 7 since I was in kindergarten, I cross my fingers, knock on wood, wish on falling stars, rainbows and fallen eyelashes, cannot pass up a fountain for a coin toss, and have spent hours looking for a 4 leaf clover.

  I believe even the most hardened scoffers carry out some of these luck charms.  There are many animals and insects that represent luck: Dolphins, Pigs, Elephants, Tortoise, Tiger, Crickets, Lady Bugs, Dragonflies, Scarabs.  And the old standbys: Horseshoe, Coin, Wishbone.

  Everyone has an opinion on luck and what it is or isn't.  The majority are believers ( those poor unlucky bastard non-believers!).  These are some of my favorite quotes on luck:

If you are lucky enough to be Irish, you are lucky enough. (unknown)

We must believe in luck.  For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like? (Jean Cocteau)

Those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves. (Larry King)

Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit. (S. Shay)

For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can.  Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can. (Ernest Hemingway)

I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more of it I have. (Thomas Jefferson)

Each misfortune you encounter will carry within it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. (Mandino)

Luck does not favor hesitation. (Roman words of wisdom)

  We all hope luck comes along beside us at just the right moment when we need the extra advantage.  When we are so close we can taste it.  When the chips are down but we refuse to give up.  Lady Luck is out there always, you only have to seduce her your way and the breeze from her passing figure will be just enough to fill your sails and win you the day.  May luck find you ready and waiting!

*don't imagine that this being my first blog post of the year isn't going to give me a running start ; )