Tales from the Dark Side Part 3

Tales from the Dark Side Part 3

Continued from Part 2

I took my future forecast so serious that before I entered into marriage in 1977, I mention to my bride to be that I had once been told by a Fortune Teller that I would come near death at the age of 42.  We didn’t laugh it off, but we also didn’t let it stop us.  I do remember that it was about that time that I started paying more attention to my horoscope. I don’t place a lot of faith in it but why take a chance.  I didn’t buy lotto if it said that my luck was good, but if it said danger, don’t travel, I stayed home.

As I celebrated my 35^th birthday and beyond, I began to worry more about the prediction, and reaching 42 became worrisome.  I always checked the newspaper Horoscope before leaving the house to make sure that I took adequate precaution based on the forecast.  I worried about such things as; minimizing travel, staying away from airplanes or boats.  I didn’t share my fears with my wife because I didn’t want her to join me in my fears.  I also hoped that she had forgotten about the prediction that I shared with her so many years earlier.

Between the age of 37 and 42 I received thirteen offers for promotion or opportunities to switch employment requiring relocation of myself and family.  I turned every offer down because I wanted to maintain family stability, just in case.  The prediction came close to becoming more of a curse.  I felt that if something was going to happen to my physical body at age 42, I wanted my family to be in familiar surrounding so they could be better able to cope with limited participation from me.

I know that it sounds strange that I would track the number of opportunities that I received starting five years prior to the age of 42. Honestly it was even stranger that the number was 13, which in itself is considered an unlucky number.  Then again I didn’t give much thought to the number because I didn’t expect it to stop there before the big event.  I apologize if I make it sound like I was obsessed, and didn’t have a normal life.  My life has always been happy, and a real joy when spending time with my wife and children.  Only now, many years after the fact can I look back and see the amount of duress I endured as the anticipated date approached.

It’s funny how I can separate the blessing and curse that the prediction placed on me.  Between the age of 13 (when the prediction was made) and the age of 35 when I began to be concerned, I had a devil may care attitude.  During the early part I would take chances, living as if my life and well-being was somehow guaranteed.  Looking back it was irresponsible to live that way, because I could just as easily have survived to the age of 42 in a wheel chair, if I had gotten injured. There again, no regrets, I enjoyed life to the fullest including racing go-carts with nitro powered engines at Laguna Seca near Monterey, California.  Be in the lookout for the conclusion to Tales from the Dark Side Part 4.  Not only do I cheat death but my beautiful wife was by my side!  The best is yet to come….