It’s all fun and games until somebody (maybe/possibly/are-you-kidding-me?) dies.
DEAR ABBY: I have found the man I will be with for the rest of my life. I knew from the moment I met him that he was The One. We are very happy and very much in love.
Ever since I was about 9, my mother and I have had our palms read, our tarot cards done, charted our birth signs, etc. It’s a little superstitious, but hey — we have fun with it. We still do it to this day.
When I was 17, our palm reader proceeded to tell me about my life and explained that I will have two husbands, and my first husband will die. Abby, I can’t stop thinking about this, and when I do I can’t hold back the tears. I can’t tell my boyfriend because, as anyone would, he’ll think I am being silly.
I wouldn’t take this so seriously if the palm reader hadn’t been so accurate regarding past experiences in my life. I need some sort of relief from my fear because I’m afraid that when we’re married I’ll always be waiting for the day my husband doesn’t come home. Please help me. — MISERABLE IN MILWAUKEE
Your husband’s not going to come home one day because you’re crazy.
Now that that’s out of my system…
(No, wait, not done yet. What’s with her little disclaimer about how tarot card reading is “a little superstitious, but hey — we have fun with it” and then proceeding to freak out when she doesn’t like the results?)
Does this guy know the type of family he’s marrying into…?
How does Abby respond?
DEAR MISERABLE: I live in a community where psychics and palm readers are as omnipresent as head lice. While some of them can be remarkably accurate in their predictions, others are charlatans. What your letter illustrates is that while palm reading, tarot, etc. can make for lively entertainment, superstition can be a powerful and destructive force.
May I point out that statistically most women outlive men. Viewed in that light, what your psychic told you wasn’t necessarily bad news. It could be interpreted to mean that you will have a long and happy union with the man you love. And when he predeceases you — as most men do — you will once again find love. And, honey, from my perspective, that’s GOOD news.
“… others are charlatans”???
That implies that some are not. Which is untrue.
At least Abby says that superstitions can be destructive.
Why can’t she just chew MIM out for believing a psychic in the first place? That’s what Dan Savage would do. Which is why I read him and not Abby.
(Thanks to Joseph for the link!)
[tags]atheist, atheism, paranormal, skeptic[/tags]