Although not a religious man, I do have my share of extra-rational beliefs, such as trying to be open to hearing what the universe is telling you when things happen. So for instance, losing my wallet is not simply losing my wallet, there's always more layers of meaning: might there be a message that I am falling back into certain fuck-up ways?

Or ... if you piss off one friend, then it's comfortable to believe that your friend's just being an a-hole. But if you piss off many friends, then it's worth looking at the possibility that it's you that's in a little a-hole stretch.

Lately I have been one degree of separation away from a couple of scary, random events.
1. At my lovely 80's party in Irvine, an absolutely wonderful woman from the old company broke her leg really badly in a freakish accident by the pool.
2. The day after I got back to Reno, exactly one week after 1, Ashley was about a foot away from getting really badly injured when the entire 14 foot long bar cabinet at se7en detached itself from the wall and fell on her. If she had been pouring a glass of wine instead of making a latte she could've gotten seriously fucked up.

So in my John-centric view of the world, what does this mean to ME? Well, another of those non-rational beliefs is that things come in threes, so the world of John is due another unexpected and unpleasant event. Also, at the 80's party it came up that I have no health insurance, which was viewed by all present with shock and horror, enough that it started to worry me a little. Blend that with the well-known fact that talking about bad things makes them more likely to happen... It all adds up to a vague sense of dread. Should I just hide under my bed for a week or so?

(a day later)
But then the other night, I left the Jungle softball game early to enjoy the sunset in San Rafael Canyon, and there was a big beautiful owl (Great Horned, according to my book), absolutely forcing its attentions upon me. It didn't fly away, it just hung out in a tree about 40 feet from me, making it's owl sounds (a female looking for action, according to the book) and seeming entirely comfortable with my standing there gawking at it. It was an amazing site -- silhouetted against the darkening sky, its ears looked just like the Michael Keaton Batman, or a five pound tabby cat parked on a branch four stories up. I choose to consider this a good omen, possibly allowing some of the negativity I feel building up around me like a static charge to harmlessly go to ground.

Such is the magical world I create for myself.

and then there's the unending late night earthquakes, nibbling away at the sleep and peace of mind of everyone in west Reno. That one ain't just me....