# Superstitions.... Myth or reality?



## Wyatt (Oct 31, 2016)

I dont ever have any trick or treaters come to the house so a few years ago i began fishing on this night to get away from the holiday. I was gonna set some jugs out and hopefully fill the freezer by later tonight. So off i go! 

So i get down to the boat ramp at one of our state parks (Bledsoe Creek) right before sunset and its completely empty. Love it! As im getting the boat ready i heard a meow from behind me. I look and see in the shadows by the tree line, a black cat. I kneel down and whistle for it and it comes walking up just a purring so i love on it for a minute and then proceed with the boat. I get the boat in the water and the truck parked then i pet the cat one last time before taking off. 

I get about 2 miles down lake and the motor starts rattling so i ease it down to idle and it dies. I crank it up again to listen to the rattling and she dies after about 10 seconds. I try to crank it again but i hear nothing but a click. Again, just a click. I determined while on the water that the motor is locked up since i cannot for the life of me spin the flywheel! 

As i currently sit here trolling back to the ramp at a whopping 1.5 mph against the current, i cant help but think about the black cat superstition and could this have been avoided if i didnt pet it? If i pet it NOT on Halloween night, would this have happened? All i know is that im now down a motor when the crappie are on fire down here and the fall bass patterns are about to begin. Im not a happy camper!! 

Does anyone else has superstition stories like this? Does anyone else believe in this kind of stuff? This will be the last cat i ever touch at a boat ramp!


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## enginerd (Nov 1, 2016)

I don't know, I've always heard it's bad luck to be superstitious. That being said, I've never renamed a boat.

I had a CO that set sail on a Friday in violation of the age old adage to "never leave port on a Friday." On that cruise, we managed to have a propeller hub start leaking oil (required a drydock to fix) and have a $250K sonar transducer fall off one of our survey launches, among a host of other more minor issues. After that experience he vowed he'd never tempt fate again.


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## lovedr79 (Nov 1, 2016)

I think its real. I have had issues with some of the superstitions like the black cat and jinxs.


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## JMichael (Nov 1, 2016)

Just like opinions, we all have our own beliefs, and that's the way it should be. My personal feelings on superstitions, like black cats on your path, walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, spilling salt, step on a crack, etc, is that they all belong back in the dark ages. With the education level of most people today, I find it amazing how many people still believe in that sort of thing. But like I said, to each their own beliefs. I've got a little sister that believes in most of it, and is constantly saying she sees or feels the spirits of some of our dead relatives in her house and other places. I've been walking under ladders most of my life (I do carpenter/home repair, remodel work) and never had any issues. I have had a few times where I was injured moving a ladder though. Turns out I left something on top the ladder (hammers, etc) and when I lean the ladder over to lift it and the object falls off and hit me on the head. :lol: I've broken a few mirrors and spilled a pound or so of salt in my life. If a cat, black or otherwise comes near me, I'll do my best to run it off or at least steer it away from me, but that's because I'm highly allergic to the oil/dander on their fur. To me, if anything bad happens to you around one of these superstition events, it's just coincidence........ or bad luck, if you believe in luck.


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## JGibson (Nov 1, 2016)

Superstitions, just to name a few that I do and do not:

1. BLACK CATS (or any cat just to be safe) crossing the road in front of me, I always "X" them out on my windshield or in the air when riding as a passenger.
2. I do not give knives to anyone. If I have one I want someone to have they either have to trade me something or buy it (The lowest I have sold a knife for was a penny)
3. If I open a knife, I have to close it. If You open my knife, You have to close it.
4. I will not "Split a pole" (I walk on one side, you on the other)

I'm sure I have a few more just can't think of them right now...


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## Crazyboat (Nov 2, 2016)

You know, we are a bit more advanced and logical then that I would hope. I don't know what went wrong with your engine but let's face it, a cat didn't make your engine conk out on you, didn't make it lose oil, run out of gas whatever. I'm sure you'll find a reasonable explanation when you open her up.


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## LDUBS (Nov 2, 2016)

JGibson said:


> Superstitions, just to name a few that I do and do not:
> 
> 4. I will not "Split a pole" (I walk on one side, you on the other)
> 
> I'm sure I have a few more just can't think of them right now...



Funny, I don't consider myself superstitious, but here are a few things we do. 

Splitting a pole is OK if you each say "bread and butter" as you walk by. 

When I was a kid my Dad told me having a dragon fly land on your fishing rod was good luck. I still believe that. 

I never take a tuna sandwich for lunch when fishing. 

On New Year's eve, women in our family wear clothes that have circle or dot patterns for good luck in the coming year. It is also essential to eat 12 grapes right after midnight. Drinking wine doesn't count the same as eating grapes but doesn't mean you can't do that too (haha). 

Regardless of other items on the menu, noodles must be eaten on a birthday.


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## Crazyboat (Nov 2, 2016)

LDUBS said:


> JGibson said:
> 
> 
> > Superstitions, just to name a few that I do and do not:
> ...


Your at least part Latin??


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## lovedr79 (Nov 3, 2016)

I do the X for the black cat and the knife open/closed when handing to someone. THEY must give it back the way I handed it to them


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## LDUBS (Nov 4, 2016)

Crazyboat said:


> LDUBS said:
> 
> 
> > JGibson said:
> ...



Nope, nothing latin in my DNA as far as I know. My wife is Asian, from the Philippines originally. Her Father was Chinese. Her Mother was Swiss and Filipino. The polka dots, grapes and noodles come from her side of the family. Spanish had a heavy influence back in the early colonization days of the Philippines. I'm thinking that is probably the link with the grapes.

BTW, I won't even get into the whole Feng Shui thing. Drives me nuts sometimes.


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## Hanr3 (Nov 27, 2016)

Myth. I don't believe in superstitions, however I do believe in ghosts and God. 

Did you meet the black cat at the ramp on the way out?


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## Crazyboat (Jan 12, 2017)

It's all BS.


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## Jim (Jan 12, 2017)

Crazyboat said:


> It's all BS.


 :LOL2:


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## lovedr79 (Jan 13, 2017)

everyone knows what today is right?


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## lovedr79 (Jan 13, 2017)

Well crap. It is reality. Due to lack of compliance by a professor I now have to work everyday until his ordeal is figured out. Yay. I haven't had to work on a weekend in 6 years. Oh I don't get any extra pay either. Happy Friday the 13th to me.


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## bcbouy (Jan 13, 2017)

i think it's a full moon too but i'm not positive.


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## lovedr79 (Jan 13, 2017)

Well my wall clock battry has died and now my watch battery that was replaced about 1 month ago


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## LDUBS (Jan 15, 2017)

A lot of superstitions are practiced in my house whether I like it or not. I will say that this is primarily from my wife's asian heritage, but will also admit that now that i know about them, I think about them. For example, we moved to a new (to us) home about 2 1/2 years ago. I was chuckling to myself as I listened to my wife explain to our realtor to not even think about showing us any house that had a "4" in the house number. This is considered extremely bad luck because the chinese word for death sounds like the chinese word for the number 4.


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