01/21/2003 Entry: "Apopheniac."

I hate that I have these odd superstitions; while I like to think of myself as a skeptic and a stalwart atheist, I'm still drawn to the aura of cheap mysticism and apophenia. Combine that with some healthy OCD behaviour, and here I am.

For example, I always pick up playing cards on the street when I see them. I'm compelled to pick them up, unless the cards are wet or filthy or would otherwise cause me bodily harm to capture. I read them as a sort of random street cartomancy, a little sign from the universe. The last card I picked up was the eight of spades, which, depending on who you ask, can mean big changes in business or finance—interesting, given the recent events at my work.

The flip side of this compulsion, however, is that I'm very slowly finding a very strange and extremely mismatched deck of cards with which I should do something creative. Of course, when did I ever play with a full deck in the first place?

Anyway, the eight isn't very good, as omens go, so I've had my eyes open for a new card. On Sunday I almost picked up a candy wrapper. This morning I turned over a real card, but it was a 25-kilometer Mille Borne card instead.

Even if my little omens were real, I guess they probably wouldn't work like this. Damn this haunted brain.

Replies: 3 comments

So the rumors of layoffs turned out to be true?

Posted by Katrina @ 01/22/2003 10:44 AM PST

apophenia and mille borne in the same post? you're fantastic.

Posted by aaron @ 01/22/2003 03:35 PM PST

By the way Jill Tracy (of the Jill Tracy Orchestra) also picks up playing cards.

Posted by Katrina @ 01/23/2003 01:41 PM PST