Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood

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TheHeretic -> Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 9:51:02 AM)
"I've never been stuck, I'll never get stuck." We were sitting around the breakroom table, talking about the 'case of beer' policy if you got a snowplow stuck. It wasn't cheap. M and I were the rookies on swing shift, but we'd already been through one 30 inch storm and couple 10's and felt like we knew what we were doing. M's cocky comment was a bit much though. Somebody told him to knock on wood. Not only did he refuse to rap on the table, he repeated the statement. The sergeant announced it was time to get back to work, and within five minutes, M was on the radio, announcing he was stuck on our access road to the flight line. He missed the curve and drove a 54,000 lb snow blower right into the ditch. He dug the blower box in so deeply, they wound up having to bring in the crane the next morning. The whole "knock on wood" ritual is interesting to me. I've read one legend about a pagan god/spirit who punished boasters and braggarts, and lived in the trees. Knocking on wood was an apology to him, when one's mouth overtook humility. I don't literally believe that, but I do think such rituals can play an important role in the subconscious mind. What are your thoughts on "superstitious" behavior? Was what happened to M complete coincidence or Instant Karma?

Level -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 9:59:16 AM)
I don't believe in superstition, Rich. I walk under ladders, wave at black cats as they cross my path, and step on cracks (hi Mom [sm=hello.gif]). Now, I do realize, that as a Christian, some would say I'm chock full of superstition.... I suppose one man's manna is another's hoodoo lol.

TheHeretic -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:29:17 AM)
Not walking under ladders has always struck me as a good safety rule. I'm with you on the others.

popeye1250 -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:38:05 AM)
I don't believe in "Karma". I've been giving money to homeless shelters and numerous other charities for decades now. I still haven't hit the lottery! How does this fuckin "Karma" work anyway? What, I'll be 80 years old in a Nursing Home and THEN hit the lottery? "Yeah! New Depends for Everybody!"

TheHeretic -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:42:51 AM)
You'll probably never hit the Lotto, Popeye, but if you keep up the good deeds, you'll get to come back as the brass pole in a strip club for your next life.

popeye1250 -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:46:10 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic You'll probably never hit the Lotto, Popeye, but if you keep up the good deeds, you'll get to come back as the brass pole in a strip club for your next life. That'll work!

NakedOnMyChain -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 12:11:42 PM)
Most superstition is just superstition. However, ingrained habits are very hard to break. As I gradually changed my religion from Catholicism to Wicca, it was an extremely hard battle to stop crossing myself before dinnertime prayer. Even though I didn't believe in that particular symbol's efficacy to me personally, it was difficult to stop. The mind and the reflex are often at odds. Karma, on the other hand, I do believe in. I believe in a sense of cosmic retribution, if you will, if only in the sense that things are always cyclical, and at most as a kind of subconcious collective energy that keeps things on an even keel. I know I get too cocky sometimes and need a cosmic kick in the ass to realize I'm not the best thing that ever happened. (I am pretty darn close, though.) Edited to add: The late, wise Douglas Adams once said something to this effect, "I don't believe in things. I am either convinced they exist or I am not. Believing is too wishy-washy." So, in that sense, I am convinced that karma exists. People may say that life isn't fair, but it is. We just don't understand the universe's sense of "fair".

Vendaval -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 2:53:02 PM)
I think that M was tempting fate and received his come-uppance. Here is one from my family about dog behavior. On more than one occasion when I was out for the evening with friends my parents called me in a panic thinking something bad had happened to me. Usually my friends were playing a movie video or something and we were just hanging out having a good time. I was puzzled and asked why were they worried? Their response was that one of our dogs was howling mournfully and would not stop. In some parts of the world this is a sign of death or sickness in the family. This particular dog was a real character with loads of personality. I told them to go give her some extra attention and she would be fine. She was just wanting to be fussed over and petted. But they still would call to check on me if she was howling. quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic What are your thoughts on "superstitious" behavior? Was what happened to M complete coincidence or Instant Karma?

Stephann -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 3:01:26 PM)
I have dismal luck. Gretchen used to call me a gato negro, a black cat. I don't worry about it. Having bad luck has taught me to expect and plan for the worst, and leave nothing to chance. It's a great theory, anyway. I never lose at the lottery that way, cuz I never play. Stephan

TheHeretic -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 9:49:05 PM)
And yet, there is often a glimmer of something in these beliefs. Our cat runs to the phone when I call the house, but not when others do. How could she possibly know?

subfever -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:09:05 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Stephann I have dismal luck. Gretchen used to call me a gato negro, a black cat. I don't worry about it. Having bad luck has taught me to expect and plan for the worst, and leave nothing to chance. It's a great theory, anyway. I never lose at the lottery that way, cuz I never play. Stephan Chronic dismal luck, 'eh? Hmm... maybe you were a real sonofabitch in one of your more recent past lives.

NakedOnMyChain -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/24/2007 10:52:23 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic And yet, there is often a glimmer of something in these beliefs. Our cat runs to the phone when I call the house, but not when others do. How could she possibly know? That can be better explained by a sense of connective energy than as superstition. It's really more in line with karma, in the overall feel and energy-relatedness of it. I believe that beloved people and even beloved animals share a sense of energy connection even when the other is absent. Whenever my husband, mother, sister, or Granny call I usually get an inkling that it is them when I hear the phone ring. It happens occasionally, but much less often with certain friends and other loved ones. And yes, it is before I check the caller ID, smart-alec. LOL. There is also this weird thing in my family where one or two of us will hear our name being called loudly by another family member when that family member isn't present. Nine times out of ten that family member is in some kind of distress. Not necessarily life-threatening, but in need of help. It's like tugging some kind of connected psychic cord. I could recite some really spooky instances to you all, but I wouldn't want to keep you that long. I believe all living things are connected in a grand web of energy. You pull one string, you rustle them all by varying degrees. Butterfly theory, if you will.

Stephann -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/28/2007 12:24:47 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: subfever quote: ORIGINAL: Stephann I have dismal luck. Gretchen used to call me a gato negro, a black cat. I don't worry about it. Having bad luck has taught me to expect and plan for the worst, and leave nothing to chance. It's a great theory, anyway. I never lose at the lottery that way, cuz I never play. Stephan Chronic dismal luck, 'eh? Hmm... maybe you were a real sonofabitch in one of your more recent past lives. Maybe I'm just saving up for the karmic jackpot? Actually, I imagine it has more to do with me being a sonofabitch in this life too... but gretchen used to say that was one of my better qualities too ;) Stephan

MadameDahlia -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/28/2007 2:43:02 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic And yet, there is often a glimmer of something in these beliefs. Our cat runs to the phone when I call the house, but not when others do. How could she possibly know? I think that both cats and dogs tend to pick up on body language and chemical output. Perhaps whoever is answering the phone reacts a certain way when you're on the other end of the call. It's by no means a tested theory, but I've become fairly convinced they're able to pick up on a good number of signals and clues. Even when I don't realize that I'm having a bad day my favorite fuzzy will come running at me full speed, trilling up a storm until I pick him up, regardless of where he is in the house when I've started to feel out of sorts. And when I haven't had a rotten day he doesn't incessently demand attention, but is content to do his own thing. Likewise, if my mood shifts (like say... during a movie on television), he'll come raid my lap and want to nuzzle and purr at me until I've stopped feeling blue. Once the emotions are back to normal he's off to chase another cat or pounce an insect of choice. Curious stuff.

TheHeretic -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/28/2007 7:07:59 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: MadameDahlia quote: ORIGINAL: TheHeretic And yet, there is often a glimmer of something in these beliefs. Our cat runs to the phone when I call the house, but not when others do. How could she possibly know? I think that both cats and dogs tend to pick up on body language and chemical output. Perhaps whoever is answering the phone reacts a certain way when you're on the other end of the call. The thing is Dhalia, the cat runs to the phone BEFORE it is answered.

SDFemDom4cuck -> RE: Sunday Morning Stories: Knock on Wood (6/28/2007 2:19:43 PM)
Heretic I've never been one to believe in coincidence. Moreso Karma and Free Will. There's a very interesting book entitled "There's No Such Thing as Coindence" I believe it's authored by Baruch Lev. Although I'm not superstitious I do enjoy the folklore and mythologies behind many superstitions, their genesis and their evolution over time. I'm sure you've heard of "The Secret". The basic premise is that what you put out into the Universe energy wise is what you get in return. Negative energy begets negative results. Positive energy begets positive. In other words..Actions, whether positive or negative, have consequences. Which has been a major belief and philosophy throughout my life. It's a wonderful book. There's also "What the (bleep) Do We Know and it's sequel "Down The Rabbit Hole" On reply to the remainder of your post. I'm an empath. It used to freak me out when I was younger. As I've grown older I've simply accepted it but it can freak out those that have just met me at times. I've seen animals react on a different level as well just as empaths do.

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