Undecipherable omens

by Suw on January 1, 2004

Do you think that stubbing your big toe entirely without noticing and shattering off a quarter of your toenail is a good omen? I'd like to think that it is, sort of a blood sacrifice to ensure that the gods are on your side for the rest of the year. Weirdly, it doesn't even hurt, although I'm sure that will change just as soon as I get in to bed and start trying to get to sleep.

A visitor January 1, 2004 at 11:26 pm

not everything is an omen; some things just are what they are and portend nothing.

after a steady diet of Coelho, Hesse, fragments of Jung, the daily offerings of Whiskey River, etc., this may be hard to accept — it has been for me — but I think I'm right.

having said that, it may remind you to pay more attention to where you place your feet. I speak from experience(s) 🙁

andrew [andrew@andrewbarnett.com.au]

Suw January 2, 2004 at 9:38 am

Come, come, Andrew. Everything's an omen if you can interpret it correctly, despite what Coelho, Hesse or Jung might say. After all, what do they know? The tricky part is the interpretation, which I admit still has me foxed. ;0)

But yes, if i could remember what I stubbed my toe on, I would be far more careful to avoid it in the future.

A visitor January 2, 2004 at 10:31 am

Nah. Circling birds of prey, unusual weather events, synchronicitous (mmm, not sure about that one) happenings: these are omens. Stubbing your toe simply indicates about 3 too many JDs, a position supported by the attendant lack of pain that you noted.

A few months' back, I managed to kick the clothes horse, while playing lounge-room football with my son, wrenched my little toe sideways and I'd guess broke something deep inside my foot. The toe was swollen and multi-hued for a fortnight, my foot was painful for another month after.

Then there was the time my wife and I were pillow fighting and chasing each other around the house and she trod on my (other) little toe, pinning it to the ground, and I kept running…

I am now very careful about where I put my feet.

andrew [andrew@andrewbarnett.com.au]

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