Thursday, August 5, 2010

It's all a matter of luck, or is it?


This morning, on my way home from work, I was listening to NPR. On came this story about a grad student who had uncanny knack for finding four-leaf clovers. The absolute best part of the story was when the student said (regarding four-leafed clovers);

"I think most people don't look. That's the interesting thing. It's like if you see somebody who is lucky or in someway seems that luck is this random thing that's streaming through that some people intercept and, you know, other people just don't. But I guess I think it's a little bit more like the people themselves are actually engaging or intercepting that luck."

Her point being -- if you want luck you must engage. You must look for it, recognize it and metabolize it. She has an excellent point. One well taken.

As such I decided to engage and look for my own luck. You see, we have clover. Lots and lots of clover. On any typical morning I step over this leafy green with a wisp of disdain, all the while avoiding dog doo and other yardly gifts. But not today. This morning I plopped myself down on the sidewalk, still in my scrubs, and began to examine the groundcover.

I'm sure my neighbors thought I was crazy. You know, she's been working too hard, it was the last straw, the whole nine yards. If I'd stayed on the sidewalk too long the men would have been called. The ones with the white coats. They would have been summoned to take me away. But that did not happen. Because shortly after I sat down I found something.

That's right. A precious stem with four sweet leaves. My very own four-leaf clover. How many days had I been stepping over luck? Ignoring her. Admonishing her. Being mildly embarrassed by her. And there she was all along. Waiting for me to open my eyes and see.

And the question remains -- what other opportunities sit before me, right in front of my face, that I simply can't (or don't) see? Indeed it is a good question.

Now this clover, this sweet gal, is too precious to keep to myself. She's been safely tucked into a library book and is in wait. Waiting to bring luck to an unsuspecting library patron. Today I found luck and today I'm passing her on.

"Luck affects everything; let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish."
~ Ovid

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3 comments:

Jen @ By Jen ❤️ said...

How very special! We all need to appreciate what is right under our noses. I found my beloved hubby that way ;)

four leaf clover said...

Now that is special......

Val said...

Nice thought provoking post...
my kids are expert 4 leaf clover finders but then thinking about it they do look :0)