Of luck and tall odds

The fear of Friday the 13th is a widely held belief so ingrained in Western culture that there is even a term for it — paraskevidekatriaphobia.

If one is to peruse the digital superhighway for the origins of this superstition, a confluence of religious beliefs, numerology and historical events can be seen conspiring to paint Friday the 13th, just like we had this week, as a day of ill fortune.

I don’t know about you, but I am of the firm belief that we make our own luck through preparation, preparation and more preparation. Take that blowout basketball game my high school pals, Batch 85 of Cainta Catholic College, played yesterday.

We were not lacking in very talented players like Edwin Apacible, but against our seniors (arrgh) — Batch 84 led by the likes of Jay-jay Javier — whatever practice time they had squeezed into their, I presume, hectic schedules apparently paid off with their more cohesive plays, better ball rotation, and shot selections.

Dunno if they really prepped long and hard for this inter-batch tournament, but we’d seen them pose for post-practice pictures, probably shooting for the stars as emerging champion against teams 15 or so years our junior. Tall odds, indeed, and — numerologists may freely correct me — but odds, too, have nothing to do with luck.

But back to that “unlucky” number 13. Many ancient cultures saw it as irregular and disruptive, in stark contrast to the perfection associated with the number 12. Friday, meanwhile, in Christian tradition, is tied to the crucifixion of Jesus and, as such, has long been considered an inauspicious day.

And so we have it, the marriage of Friday and 13, a combination that has created a powerful albeit dubious narrative of being luckless, something that has been perpetuated through folklore, literature, popular culture and, of course, Hollywood.

Friday the 13th being unlucky is primarily a psychological phenomenon, influenced by confirmation bias and the human tendency to seek patterns in random events. While there may be anecdotal evidence of misfortunes occurring on this day, it’s unlikely that any inherent bad luck is associated with it.

Luck, while it can play a role in success, is often a matter of preparation, opportunity, and the ability to seize the moment. As the saying goes, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

For this Contrarian, Friday the 13th is a superstition that can be easily dismissed with a little common sense. Rather than worrying about the day of the week or the date, we should focus on making the most of every opportunity that comes our way. By doing so, we can create our own luck.

Still, when it comes to many elected and appointed government officials, including imperious lawmakers who are so full of themselves, the Philippines, alas may indeed be out of luck. Nah, luck has nothing to do with us being saddled with clowns for government officials. We have only ourselves to blame for electing them.

Now, let me wash my 00 jersey