Superstition

Last weekend was a lovely,bright bank holiday weekend. After the long dismal winter it was uplifting to see some sun and feel the warmth on your face. I love the summer and I am one of those embarrassingly sad people who have to get their shorts out at the first glimmer of sunshine; then wear them all summer regardless of how sunny it actually is. Picture the scene, there I am in the garden, in my shorts, tidying up and getting wistful about my first glass of wine in the garden when I am faced with the following dilemma, is it time to get the patio set out?

The reason it's a dilemma is because last year, if you remember, the Met Office were talking about severe droughts. I put the patio set out and within two days it started to rain and we had a very wet summer. My wife and I joked about it at the time but I love the summer and felt a tad cheated. I am not superstitious but don't believe in tempting fate either. I found myself thinking twice about getting the patio set out in case it brought the rains. Yes, I know it's ridiculous.

As stated, I'm not superstitious. I have never had a pair of 'lucky pants' or carried a rabbit's foot (which clearly wasn't lucky for the rabbit). I don't have routines to follow to ensure my world doesn't collapse and I'm not concerned about which way a black cat might be walking. I don't walk under ladders but that's due to not wanting something dropped on my head rather than any fear of impending doom.

Some people do take notice of these omens though and have rituals to ensure good fortune. For example; Ronnie Barker used to have the same breakfast in the BBC canteen before each show to ensure it went well. A slightly less believable anecdote concerns James Joyce who apparently carried a pair of doll's knickers in his pocket. A completely spurious claim I have come across states that George Orwell, before commencing writing for the day, would swim the English Channel, have a croissant and a coffee on the French side and then swim back again. I suspect this was fabricated by an American as their lack of geographical knowledge is legendary.

So you can see my dilemma, do I leave the patio set in the garage and hope for a good summer or do I get it out and tempt the rains. If you look out of your window you will see my decision, I got the patio set out. It started to rain on the Wednesday and has been cloudy and rainy almost every day since. So if we have a terrible summer it's my fault... sorry.