Yesterday I lazed away another day at the Beach thinking about Luck.
As I stared out at the water I thought about a 36 year old scuba diver in Florida who recently had the misfortune of having his diving tank hit by lightning as he headed towards the boat. KABOOM!http://www.upi.com/scuba_diver_killed_by_lightning_in_florida/5043/
Apparently the odds of getting hit by lightning are about 10 Million to 1 which are considerably better than the odds of winning a Lottery.
You probably knew that Florida is also one of best places on Earth to be if you want to experience firsthand what it feels like to be zapped by a 50,000 degree F One Billion Volt piece of the Sun travelling down your weiner and out yer butt at 100,000 miles per hour!
Just ask a guy with the improbable name of Don FRICK, I frickin' kid you not, who was struck by lightning twice 27 years apart to the day! http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070729/K072906AU.html
I always marvel at those so-called genetic dead-enders figuratively drowning in the shallow end of the gene pool who are prominantly featured in the DARWIN AWARDS http://www.darwinawards.com/ .
Now I admit that their BAD LUCK seems inevitable and self inflicted but their stories still never cease to amaze me and I wonder why so many of us escape our own stupidity.
Now I don’t really believe in Miracles or Luck…or do I?
Is Chance, Fate, Luck or Karma any different from a Miracle?
I am not even sure if I believe in any of them.
Now I don’t really believe in Miracles or Luck…or do I?
Is Chance, Fate, Luck or Karma any different from a Miracle?
I am not even sure if I believe in any of them.
I understand that it is logical to establish individual and group patterns of behavior which emerge and become self evident when you study humans and that a probable outcome is possible to predict based on recording past expirations.
But that is playing it safe...so boring.
So Mr. Anchovy, the borrrring accountant in the Monty Python skit who dreams of being a Lion Tamer but hinks that Lions are Aardvarks @ /Vocational_Guidance_Counsellor
We all know, or KNEW, the adrenalin junkie kid down the lane who would jump off of the garage roof on a dare and tease the loosely tethered psychotic neighbourhood dog on the way to school everyday. Now the odds are that he or she will probably expire while bungee jumping, ingesting crack, skydiving, base jumping or exploring outer space. I seem to have mentioned a lot of jumping.
We all know, or KNEW, the adrenalin junkie kid down the lane who would jump off of the garage roof on a dare and tease the loosely tethered psychotic neighbourhood dog on the way to school everyday. Now the odds are that he or she will probably expire while bungee jumping, ingesting crack, skydiving, base jumping or exploring outer space. I seem to have mentioned a lot of jumping.
((shakes head))
Anyway that kid’s brother or sister who did not receive one angstrom of that Daredevil DNA will become a cautious, calculating, Librarian, Dentist, or quite ironically, an actuarial Statistician for an Insurance Corporation. When his fearless brother or sister finally 'terra firmly' impacts the outer layer of Mother Earth at terminal velocity he or she will simply say
“I Told Ya So!”
We all hear or read about those people who go through Life without a scratch but I have never met a single person that Lucky. Have you? I believe that you can you change your luck!
Anyway is there any greater pleasure on Earth than the unbridled schandenfreude of saying I Told You So?
We all hear or read about those people who go through Life without a scratch but I have never met a single person that Lucky. Have you? I believe that you can you change your luck!
Anyway is there any greater pleasure on Earth than the unbridled schandenfreude of saying I Told You So?
I guess the guy should have just been using a snorkel instead of a scuba tank.
ReplyDeleteLuck's an overused word or notion that doesn't really exist, I think. Shit happens because shit happens.
I believe that what most people call luck is usually either coincidence or the result of their own hard work. EG, I quit my previous job and it was lucky that I found another job to go to before I ran out of money (particularly as I really enjoy this job)! Well, either that or I looked hard for a suitable job and put a lot of effort into my resume and only applied for the type of job I knew I'd like doing. I created my own luck.
ReplyDeleteIt's lucky that it started raining in Victoria again, just before we all died of thirst after the long drought. Or, the planet goes through natural cycles and it was just time to start raining here again.
You get the picture? There's always two ways of looking at things.
Homo Escapeons,
ReplyDeleteWell, I am not sure I believe in luck as much as karma, although that could be the romantic in me. I would like to think that what I give would come back to me in a good way. Of course, there are those that will do their best to ruin even that small thought.
As for the I told you so... I am not a fan of that. I try to say my peace and if it all goes to hell then I have done all I can, rubbing it in someone's face doesn't help anyone.
Is there something better than saying, "I told ya so"? Yeah, I love you but, even they should only be used when the feelings are true.
Ahh, I am feeling a bit on the lovie side... forgive me?
winthrop witsend,
ReplyDeleteWhen your time is up your time is up. Now the scuba guy probably left his house that morning thinking this is gonna be great!
I wonder if he had a premonition and shrugged it off.
Everytime I drive on the highway I watch the oncoming vehicle..
is it a trucker who has been driving for 11 hours?
an old guywho just dropped his cigarette under his seat?
some distracted bubblehead on her cellphone?
some hothead vinnie testosteroni trying to pass every car on the road?
You just never know.
stace,
Damn your logic Spock!
I agree that most people make their own luck through persistence and elbow grease.
BUT
On the human face with John Cleese a fellow admitted that 99% of all movie stars got famous by getting a good part in a big movie that somebody else turned down.
That's why they are so insecure..they know that they totally lucked out.
inside our hands,
I mean't to stress how tedious we naturally are by rejoicing with glee at someone else's misfortune...because as a species we were forged out of competition for mates and territory..the fact that some people can tame the beast some of the time is an astonishing accomplishment.
I humbly submit to your intuitive declaration. I Love You are the three greatest words in the universe ..when they are sincere...and when they are not..the cruelest.
The only 'luck' in life (in my humble opinion) is what you're handed out with at birth. After that I think we pretty much make our own 'luck' by our actions, consciously or not. It's taking responsibility for our actions that causes people to call it bad luck. But who'd want to go through life without a scratch?
ReplyDeleteYou could make a four-square of this. Every life consists of good things and bad things that are determined by our life choices, AND good things and bad things that occur in a totally random matter. Whether a person is "lucky" depends on which things are most perceived (the things that are easiest to perceive, or the things one dwells upon most).
ReplyDeleteThis post made me look at those things in my life. All four are there, although I usually choose to concentrate on the good things. The random ones are the more astonishing. That comes down to counting my blessings!
Now I know where the term "blow it out ya ass" comes from!
ReplyDeleteShocking really!
It kind of Struck me that your writings are becoming more Electrifying every time I come here to Strike up a comment!
Luck? Luck had nothing to do with it!
I always wondered being hit by an ambulance, good luck or bad luck?
ReplyDeleteBad luck you have been hit by a vehicle. Goog luck there are people on board who can keep you alive.
Luck is a matter of perspective...
I don't put too much stock on luck. unless i win at poker. LOL!
ReplyDeletesigh. no matter how hard i try, just can't get philosophical on a monday.
It has a lot to do with how you perceive things - even when something bad happens a person can turn it around and make something out of it.If a person is whiney and negative they will only focus on the bad that happens and tell themself that they have "bad luck".I agree with what ww said.
ReplyDeleteHE I hate it when ppl say I TOLD YA SO :)
ReplyDeleteAnd IM terrified of beinng struck Lightning! :( I dun mind dying on the spot but I cant live maimed for life.
Keshi.
I get embarrased to tell someone "I told you so". I could have said it a thousand times or more in my career as a nurse, or as my duties as the loving mum that I am...but I won't say it. I think, in my own reflection, that I never want the label of being a know it all, or the one who can see into the future...or anything like that. Even though..well, I know I can somewhat..I cannot explain it.
ReplyDeleteMy theory to the I told you so not being announced from my own trap...because I think deep down the person knows they ought not have done what they were warned not to do. I can see it in their eyes that they have already humiliated themselves...hopefully it is a lesson learned...only the person at hand can make the difference, so who am I to tell them anything?
Aside from that.... I have electricity running through my body..I ZAP the crap out of myself and my kids and my patients...to prevent this, I always have to touch the floor before I touch my kids, touch a patient or touch the car door handle when I get out of the car!!
ziggi,
ReplyDeleteWell you may be right because even most of those born into the LUCKY SPERM CLUB, wealthy. healthy families seem to screw things up on their own within despite having had every advantage.
miss cellania,
There is a book out there dealing with Time and the Oriental understanding of it is circular and we occidentals look at it as being linear. If we don't concentrate on the good things (atleast part of the time) we would go crazzzzzy!
I can tell that you d o because your incredible postings are smothered in humour..Canadian spelling...we have to add a U to everything because the French Normans invaded England over a thousand years ago...sheesh!
whitesnake,
It would be impossible to shock you! We are such superstitous little monkeys..we like prefer to exchange natural occurences into supernatural events because we fancy ourselves the greatest organism in the entire Universe..EVER!
aidan,
HA! Getting schmucked by an ambulance is the perfect blend of everything. I bet that if I googled that there would be plenty of incidents and snappy headlines like Hurt So Good or Lucky Break!
menchie,
I am so sorry but it was only Sunday over here when I wrote this..fluff on the way.
lee,
Yes Ronbald Reagan's favorite story was of a kid who was so excited to discover a gigantic pile of manure under the Christmas tree..he said that with all of that sh*t there has to be a Pony in there somewhere.
keshtar,
Everybody dreads hearing I told you so because we are such PRIDE machines...we practically live to toot our horns and justify our existance..we have so much to apologise for and if we lose our bravado and actually acknowledge that we screwed up...AARRGGHH..you don't have to rub it in...our little pretend world gets shattered.
You won't get hit by lightning if you stay in the house and hide under your bed.
cazzie,
My sister is a nurse and she has been shaking her head at people for almost 30 years...let's face it a huge percentage of hospital visits are self inflicted..either through lifestyle choices or um er lifestyle choices.
You are the Human-Electric Eel! Are you wearing Crocs? Those are static electric chargerZZZZZZZZZ.
lolz I'd just do that then! but ooooo there cud be spiders under my bed :(
ReplyDeleteKeshi.
mwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaaaa... i love the darwin awards, and no- i've never meat anyone with constant good luck...
ReplyDeleteso the diver who was hit by lightning... d'you think he knew what hit him?
ReplyDelete