Lucky Charms

Last week I wrote about my first car and that post got me thinking about the variety of objects folks hang from their rearview mirrors. I’ve got a little toy (Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter, to be exact) hanging from mine because my little brother gave it to me when I bought a Honda back in the early 90s. I’d always considered it a good luck charm because I haven’t had an accident while that little gizmo was in the car.

In Greece, most of the drivers have one of those evil eye protectors in their vehicles and if you’ve ever seen their treacherously narrow, winding, country roads (spotted by roadside memorial altars) you’d understand why.

So I did a little research on good luck charms. Celebrities sure carry them. For example, Geoffrey Rush of “Shine” fame carried a plastic Daffy Duck to the Oscars, Cameron Diaz wears a special “Anti-aging” luck necklace given to her by a girlfriend, and singer Meat Loaf won’t travel anywhere without his plush bears, Mandy and Marietta.

After the Miracle on the Hudson, lots of people have been talking about items they must have with them before flying an airplane. Whether a rabbit’s foot, a four-leaf cover, or lucky coin, people like to have their lucky objects close at hand. Or, they just use their hands as the lucky charm. Ty Pennington, for example, crosses the fingers of his right hand during take-off and remains stock still until the plane reaches cruising altitude. He does this on every flight.

In addition to portable charms, some folks have lucky clothing. My husband won’t spend the night in the hospital on call without wearing a specific black t-shirt. He wears it because none of his patients have died while he was on an overnight call wearing that shirt. It’s a good reason to keep it in circulation and believe me, it’s a good thing he wears it under his scrubs.

Then, we’ve got our number hang-ups. Me, I have no problem with the number 13. As far as dates go, my luckiest day is Monday. It’s the day when my agent has always phoned to tell me about selling one of my series and it’s also the day of the week when my son was born.

Do you carry a charm in your car? Do you wear one? Have a lucky color, article of clothing, number, or ritual?