I don’t place much faith in fortunes, even after I read them as a lark.
My first doubt came one day as a child when I accompanied my parents to a Chinese restaurant. As always, a fortune cookie followed the meal.
I cracked open the wafer and my fortune was a little off the mark. “You will soon be given a promotion in a Fortune 500 company.”
It would have flattered most folks, I suppose, but not me. I was only 8 and in the 3rd grade.
We live in a world of signs and predictions. My sainted grandmother read fortunes from grounds to a coffee cup and passed the art on to my mother, who also read Tarot cards.
In a nursing home one day, she told an LPN that there would be a man coming into her life and sure enough, the nurse got engaged a year later. Ever since that fateful moment, others also came to her side, looking for good news.
A woman at my church read palms and always had a line at her table. They called her Madam Tavar. She wore one of those turbans and was often on the mark. Once, she predicted that our church would come into some unexpected money and sure enough, a lottery winner stepped forward with proceeds from a lucky ticket.
I cannot get through the morning paper without delving into my horoscope. I used to be a sucker for every prediction that came my way. Being a Libra, I’m said to be most sociable, always balanced. I respond to situations with grace and attempt to put others at ease. The other part of me is creating endeavors.
Anybody who knows me can vouch for my personality. I enjoy social gatherings so long as they are not mob scenes. I prefer small, intimate crowds where I can be up front and personal with guests.
I try to maintain my equilibrium at all times, especially during moments of stress and anxiety. I take a deep breath and eye my speaking audience with confidence. In some ways, it puts others at ease when you use an informal approach.
Some public speakers stress me out with their academic approach; you’d think they were addressing doctoral graduates from Harvard.
My creativity must come from the writing and photography that’s been my career for the past 50 years.
So, my Zodiac sign fits me well as I go about my daily life with gratitude, comfort, and an eye to the future, even at age 74.
A few weeks ago, my sign laid out a specific message. It read: “Show off your skills. Present what you have to offer with confidence. An opportunity to make a difference to someone in need will boost your reputation. Expose someone who isn’t contributing.”
With two feet of snow pelting the area, most of us were housebound. But that doesn’t mean we can’t connect ourselves with the outside world by computer or telephone.
Rather than becoming a couch potato, let me stockpile some Almanac columns, I thought. That way I can exercise my skills. Next, I placed a call to our historical society in town, exploring the possibility of a program commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The next day I heard back. They were starting a series on ethnic cultures and a presentation about Armenian history was most welcome. Had I not listened to my horoscope, nothing would have been done.
And lastly, I e-mailed a secluded friend asking him to get more involved with the church and community. I beseeched upon his efforts to make a donation to the cause and he accepted the request.
Thus, a non-contributor was suddenly aboard and willing to contribute his share which, up to now, had been a non-entity. My sign encouraged me to do that.
In case you’re unaware, Libra is the only Zodiac symbol that’s neither animal nor human, but surely that doesn’t make me any less human. Between you and me, it’s the most sociable of signs so I really have little or nothing to worry about.
A while back, my forecast kept me on alert. I was informed that the day carried an unexpected setback. What was in store for me?
An injury in the racquetball court? Falling from the curb and into an oncoming car? Was the cord to my living room lamp frayed and ready to ignite a house fire? Was a loved one about to expire?
I needed a tranquilizer. Maybe I should just crawl under my bed and spend the day there. Every time the phone rang, I jumped.
Turned out to be none of the above. We lost power for about five minutes and back it came, nothing else.
Like I mentioned earlier, being a Libra has its share of merit.
Tom Vartabedian
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