Average Jane’s Silly Notions

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As I was driving home from a shopping trip yesterday evening, I passed a streetlight just as it blinked out. It resurrected a weird little back-of-my-mind thought that always crops up when that happens: "The spies are signaling my approach."

It’s funny how the human mind tries to find meaning in everything that happens, no matter how implausible the resulting explanation might be. It’s the same kind of thinking that leads people to talk – only half-jokingly – about gremlins stealing their car keys and hiding them or their cat batting at the ghost in the corner.

I remember the first time I took an airplane trip by myself, when I was about nine. I was so worried about doing something scary and dangerous to the plane that I was afraid to press the button that made the seat recline. Even a child understands that a plane manufacturer wouldn’t really put a button on a passenger seat that makes the cabin suddenly depressurize, but when you’re in a new situation, it seems best to just play things safe.

So what quirky little notions do you have that you don’t share lest your nearest and dearest question your sanity? I’m willing to bet everyone has at least one or two.

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4 responses to “Average Jane’s Silly Notions”

February 4, 2005

mojokittycat

I always used to try to be extra good when I was sent to my room because the thought was always in the back of my mind that my life was actually a television show in Egypt. Don’t know why, but the thought of people in the desert watching me be a “bad girl” always popped up in my head.

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February 4, 2005

Pharmgirl

Wow…mojo..that IS nuts. Too funny. No, really I want to know how many people have that streetlight thing happen to them because it happens to me all the time too!!! Can anyone explain this, really? I’ve always found the phenomena of streetlights either blinking off or coming on as I approach very odd. I’d like to know if this really does happen to everyone…or even hear an explanation!

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February 4, 2005

Cagey

I am in Mojo’s corner. When I was about 4, I thought TV crews followed a real family around, recording their lives (did I have a premonition of things to come???). I wished a a crew would follow my family around, but thought maybe we were too boring. Then my mom told me about grandpa’s job (who worked in the TV/movie business) – and my dream was crushed.

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February 8, 2005

Jane

As a child I perceived the sound of cicadas (or do you call them crickets?) as the sound of the stars twinkling. I suddenly noticed at 16 that I thought this – I had never consciously considered it before. Although it was then immediately obvious that it wasn’t true, that’s what I still think they are, when I’m not “thinking.”

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