The image is not very clear, but it shows a hand (mine) in bas-relief, cut into a piece of flat stone.
I cut it, and, as I was building a small 'potting shed' at the time, included it in the wall to amuse the children. It became our 'lucky hand', and everytime we needed some good luck, we would place our hands over it, and beseech whatever was required.
One day, before leaving for a trip in my huge, massively over powerful (and thirsty) Rover SDI 3.5 V8 monster, we all touched the hand as usual..... and the wretched car refused to start. Not a whisper!.
We looked into all the usual causes of non-starting, but could find nothing. In my frustration I sold the car to a local scrap yard, and replaced it with a wonderfully simple Renault 4L (the one you could put a calf in the back).
All this happened many years ago, and no-one has since touched the 'lucky hand'. I suppose It really should now be known as the 'unlucky hand'.
I didn't regret getting rid of the crazy Rover, It was too powerful, noisy, and thirsty for the French countryside; the Renault suited me much better.
The hand is still there!
I didn't think you were superstitious... I used to have a Renault 4 - my technique when driving it was to put my foot down and leave it there until I wanted to stop.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember that my accelerator pedal broke, and I had a wire that I'd pull instead. Stopping was the standard rock on a chain, thrown from the hole where the window once was.
DeleteBut it was much more Hi-Tech than my 2CV.
DeleteSounds like the hand was lucky (for you) in the end. You ended up getting the car you really wanted. I'd be inclined to keep touching it.
ReplyDeleteThe hand could have been preventing you from going out in the car so that nothing terrible would happen to you. The universe has stopped us from going somewhere a few times and we were always glad it did in the end.
ReplyDeleteEverything worked out in the end, but I can understand you wanting to stay away from the stone. While I don't want to believe in superstitions, I find myself avoiding things like opening an umbrella inside a house, or walking under a ladder. My kids don't care. Julia opened an umbrella inside the other day. All I could think was, seven years.
ReplyDeleteI love the hand -- it's ever so sweet... ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you tempted fate a little too far - a bit like keeping the same numbers on a lottery ticket then when you change them the old numbers come up - aargh
ReplyDeleteI love our silly superstitions. They all work out as expected.
ReplyDeleteSo the hand was lucky really. I think you may need some CBT therapy, Cro. ;)
ReplyDeleteI also think the hand was lucky--the car's not starting may have prevented you from a great mishap.
ReplyDeletemegan
everytime we needed some good luck, we would place our hands over it,
ReplyDeletethink that's such a lovely idea! the stuff of family folklore.
I, too, think your Rover's failure to start may have been a blessing in disguise. Who knows what fate may have dealt your family if you'd been on the road that day? You may be luckier than you ever imagined.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you went to a smaller, less thirsty car. I hate seeing those big, powerful, manly cars on the roads as I think they will swallow me and my little car right up.
ReplyDeleteLucky hand - I think so.
I thought you were going to say that the buyer of your Rover turned the key and it roared into life. Something similar happened to a car of ours.
ReplyDeleteI want a Renault 4L...
ReplyDeleteAnd a lucky hand...
ReplyDelete