A Tale of Superstition

Superstition is a bitch. Forget it, superstition isn’t a bitch…it’s a nagging mother that makes you feel guilty…you BETTER do this or else…or else your team will lose, or else you won’t get that promotion, or else you will get 4-7 years of bad luck! We try to ignore our superstitious tendencies, but for some reason they nag at us until we feel we need to sit in the same position while watching that game or forward that last email of the hugging kittens just because. Why do we give in? I guess the answer to that question is YOU NEVER KNOW! Who knows what your aura brings to the universe in the grand scheme of things. It could be because of your stinky socks that the Marlins have won 3 games in a row (disclaimer: currently the Marlins have not won 3 games in a row). This intro does have a story by the way, and I am not just rambling on. My mom has had a set of 3 Miami Heat helium balloons since March. She originally bought them at Party City for my little brother’s birthday. While she was in line buying the balloons someone (this is where the story gets good) tells her she can come back to Party City to refill the balloons with helium as many times as she wants to…for free just as long as she brings in her receipt. She was ecstatic! Needless to say she has been going back to Party City to refill those Miami Heat helium balloons for the past several games with the belief that as long as there is air in those balloons, there will be a long and prosperous season for the Miami Heat. Now, the receipt that was once fresh and crisp is now faded and tattered, but its value is still of importance. No one paid any attention to her crazy superstitious theory until the Miami Heat lost their second game to the Dallas Mavericks in what should have been a definite win. All eyes looked towards the balloons in the corner of the room who’s appearance looked as deflated as Lebron James’ ego in the post game interviews. From then on it has been my mother’s sole duty to maintain air and buoyancy in the Miami Heat balloons. Fresh balloons = A Heat win. Sunday night was game 3 and it was 5:45PM. The countdown to the game had begun, until we realized the balloons were still deflated. Mom went into panic mode and made it apparent that we HAD to get to Party City before 6PM, their closing time, in order to refill the balloons with helium. We pulled into the parking lot at 5:56PM. The game plan was for me to take the balloons to get the refill and she would go to Publix, we needed milk. We were to meet back at the car in 5 minutes. Every thing was going according to plan until Party City had locked their doors. I banged on the door and got the attention of the 16-year-old attendant. She opened the door and asked, “what is it that you need?” I explained how important it was that I get these Heat balloons filled with air because if not they WILL lose. I’m sure I amused her since she let me in. I handed my balloons over for the refill and one of the attendants said, “you know you remind me of this crazy lady that comes in here every game to fill up her balloons.” I confessed that was my mother and he looked sheepish. But who IS the crazy one? They won on Sunday night and the balloons were filled with helium!