Superstitions We’ve Grown Up With

Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall

Very superstitious, ladders bout’ to fall

Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin’ glass

Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past

- Stevie Wonder, Superstition

How many of us used to walk down a sidewalk and repeat, “Step on a crack, you break your momma’s back”? It was all innocent and fun as a kid, but did you know this superstitious saying that originated in the late 19th century was knee-deep in racism, “Step on a crack your mother will turn black”. This superstition in particular only applied to white people, and stepping on cracks in the sidewalk meant that you would end up marrying a black person and having a black baby. Well we already know that according to history, plenty of black babies were born from white men. Must have been a lot of crack stepping going on back then.

Whether you choose to believe in superstitions or not, there are definitely ones that we picked up during childhood. Til this day, my mother still talks about her fish dreams, but usually she mentions this after hearing about someone is pregnant, “Oh, I knew that’s why I was dreaming about fish about 12 weeks ago.” Yeah, how convenient for you to remember that now. She’s like the fetus whisperer or something, but a little bit behind schedule when it comes to realizing those fish dreams.

I can’t say that I’m a very superstitious person, but there are few things I don’t do out of habit. You’ll never find my purse on the floor. Not because I’m afraid I’ll stay broke, but because floors are dirty! What disgusts me is when I notice a purse on a bathroom stall floor. God only knows what’s on that floor. The hooks are put on the doors for a reason, but some women still refuse to use them.

Then there was that one time I attempted not to split the pole, but ended up walking into it. I have no idea how that happened, but I ended up with an Eric Williams’ sized lump on my forehead. Needless to say, I’ve stopped trying to avoid poles. A lump the size of a walnut isn’t easily fixed with concealer.

Are there any superstitions you adhere to? How did you learn about superstitions?