It’s kind of funny the way something that happens to us as a kid has a lasting effect on the way we approach something as meaningless as a date on the calendar. It happened to me.

Flashback to an eleven year-old Me. Back then, it was fun to “fear” Friday the 13th. But even as we poked fun at the day, I ended up having incredible luck. I don’t remember the details of what exactly made it so amazing but I remember those fly-high feelings. I remember deciding at a very young age that bad luck on Friday the 13th was nothing more than a silly superstition.

Then came Saturday, the 14th and that changed everything.

Saturday, those happy feelings came crashing down right along with me as I plummeted down the steps. As if that wasn’t bad enough, later that same day, I fell off my swing. The swing incident might not have been so bad if it weren’t for the fact that I’d instinctively clutched the metal chain trying to catch myself, slicing open both my hands in the process. Ouch!

While I didn’t suffer any major injuries for either of these mishaps, they certainly left a lasting impression, one that made me look at the calendar in a whole new light. Maybe for me, I thought, Friday the 13th isn’t the bad luck day – it’s actually Saturday, the 14th! As if someone needed to prove this theory true, since that horrible day, I don’t remember having anything good happen on a Saturday the 14th, and believe me, I pay attention.

So now, as some of you step tentatively out your door this Friday and fear what fate may lurk around the corner, I will be embracing what I expect to be a wonderful, good luck day.

And tomorrow… Well, maybe after all these years, I should finally forgive that one bad day and accept that maybe Saturday the 14th is just another day on the calendar after all…

Maybe.

In the meantime, check out this article on BBC News – Friday the 13th: The Accidental Superstition?

Do you have any superstitions or exceptionally bad luck stories that center around a specific day on the calendar?