Happy Friday the 13th from Stephanie Kuehnert!

Quoth Social Distortion: "Thirteen's my lucky number, to you it means stay inside."

I don't know how many of you live in fear of Friday the 13th, but I consider it my lucky day because I was born on Friday the 13th (at three in the morning after a big thunderstorm, are you afraid of me yet?). I was also born in the month of July meaning my birth date contains the universally lucky number (7) and the universally unlucky number (13). Perhaps this explains why I fluctuate between being incredibly hopefully optimistic (mostly to myself because I'm afraid of jinxing things) and terribly pessimistic. Regardless I consider both 7 and 13 my lucky numbers.

I don't have a lot of traditional superstitions about black cats (personally I love them), ladders, broken mirrors (I'm clumsy, if breaking things is bad luck, I'm kinda screwed), and such, but I do have a number thing. The only gambling thing I'm good at is roulette because I just seem to vibe with the numbers. Weird, I know. I prefer odd numbers to even. (I had a really rough 2010, but am convinced 2011 is going to be a good year, and holy cow 2013, that is gonna be my year, I'm sure of it!) One of the reasons I knew I was buying the right house was because of the address, which happens to contain all even numbers but I saw a certain significance in them. Mostly though, I have a thing with the number 13. I have 13 ear piercings (ten in one ear, three in the other) and if I want to have a good day I make sure I am wearing all 13. I got married on October the 3rd because 10 plus 3 equals 13. And I was really really hoping to turn my revised manuscript (that pesky Bartender book I've talking about forever) today because for some reason finishing and sending it to my agent on Friday the 13th would be very lucky in my mind and maybe mean this troublesome book would be an instant bestseller.

Yes, I know it's silly. Now I'm aiming for the 23rd or the 27th because those are both numbers I like. Of course, I will really just send the book in when it is ready because when it comes down to it, I believe that you make your own luck. Luck is really confidence. I know deep down that I had a bad 2010 not because 2010 is a horrible number (though I'm sorry in my mind it really is a terrible number) but because I lost my confidence under the weight of a bunch of bad things happening at once and started to feel very unlucky. By the same token, sometimes I have a really good night at work (at my bartending job and a good night means I'm busy, which I haven't been lately) and I take note of what shirt or barrettes I'm wearing and tell myself those are lucky. Again totally silly, but when I wear them again, I remember that I had a good day and feel more confident. So if sending a manuscript in on a certain day while wearing a certain shirt and having 13 earrings in my ears makes me feel more confident, so be it because that pessimistic side of me needs all the help she can get.

Of course, the most important part about being confident about something like a manuscript is believing that you've done your best, which is why I didn't rush to finish this one because today is supposed to be my lucky day. I have to do the best I can with it and then count on my lucky stars to align.

What about you? Do you have certain superstitions? Do you make your own luck?