I’m superstitious.
Every time I opened a grade in the basement of Sainsbury during the first two terms of the MBA I received a pretty dismal grade. My solution: stop opening grades down there. Now, I prefer to look at them on the ground floor instead. Why? Because those grades have been much better.
No one at school has noticed that every time I have a test I’m in the same red shirt. It became lucky when I passed the Spanish diagnostic last autumn. Passed Spanish two in that shirt (both written tests and the oral). My lucky shirt.
If I’m given the opportunity to coach the MBAT basketball team, I’ll wear the same shirts from last year – why? Because we won the cup last year – why change shirts this year?. Yes, they have been washed.
Along with the superstitions, I’m a big believer in balance. Most good things are offset by something not so good. Attitude is the only thing that keeps the not-so-good from becoming bad. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not obsessed with balance but understand it when it happens. Got married 2003 – great year; surgery in 2005 – not so good year. Balance. It’s weak but not really the point of this post.
Why all this pontificating on superstition and balance? Because this morning at around 5.10am I was trying out the V6 engine in my rental car going from Morgantown to Pittsburgh. This car really moves. It’s easy to hit 100 miles per hour when passing if one isn’t careful. I was about to pass a car doing around 80 MPH when I see the tail lights in the center of the Interstate.
See, in America, all but the biggest cities regulate interstate car speed the old fashioned way. They put squad-cars with radar guns out on the road looking to catch unsuspecting motorists. To me, this seems fair and sporting. We speed, they try to catch us. None of those damn speed-cameras in WV or most states. That’s just not fun, nor fair.
From a young age I was trained to look for cop cars (the fuzz, pop-corn poppers, bacon on wheels, etc) thanks to my dad’s desire to get from point A to point B as soon as possible. Many trips had me with my chin on the dashboard looking for cops. It’s a skill I still have today. Hell, sometimes I can just sense when they’re around (normally it’s the slower than normal pace of all the rest of the traffic).
This sense apparently doesn’t work in the wee hours and in pitch black driving conditions. Who the hell gets up that early to sit in a damn car looking for speeders? At least one in WV does.
So as I’m doing 80 with a car at my 10 o’clock position (think of a standard clock, those who envision a digital clock, please go to another blog) I see the tail lights and outline of the cop car. F#£k! I’ve been nailed. See the brake lights go on right before they call in the car, and then prepare for pursuit.
I do what’s natural – slam on the breaks and immediately start doing the speed limit. The cop lights up and starts to chase. My stomach is in knots.
And then, instead of nailing me, he passes and gets the guy in front. Oh happy day. My luck for the day is officially used up. Delayed at the airport? Seems like anything bad that happens today is just evening up for this morning.
On that note, time to get a little more coffee from the US Airways folks.
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