Superstition Ain't the Way

Do you touch wood? Plus, Elton, Dua & Kudos bars!

Today is Friday the 13th. Funnily enough, that doesn’t mean much to me…unless, well, something freaky were to happen. Then I’d attribute it to the fact that 13 guests attended the Last Supper back in Biblical Times…and then one very famous guest was crucified the next day. (Or so the date’s origin story goes.)

As a kid, when I’d see a crack on the sidewalk, I’d avoid stepping on it lest it “break my mother’s back.” (Who came up with this one?)

Speaking of stepping on things, even now, if my foot comes into contact with a big-ole-pile of dogshit, I think that’ll bring me good luck, whereas if I crack a mirror I’m doomed. And for seven years no less!

Then there are ladders! I wouldn’t dare walk under one.

Oh, and holding an umbrella over your head inside is no bueno. You can open it inside, though. Like, say, if you’re shopping for a new one and want to see the design. Just don’t put it over your noggin. (Says who? Me, that’s who. My “beliefs” are flexible.)

I also always save the wishbone from a chicken or turkey. Whomever breaks off the larger piece…their wish comes true! (Right? Right.)

Of course, I’m a big knocker-of-wood. Like if you speak of something you probably shouldn’t speak of lest the worst happen—better knock on wood to…make it not happen?

As I type this out, I realize how ridiculous it all sounds. It’s so arbitrary! In which case, as Stevie Wonder sings:

When you believe in things
That you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way

The fact of the matter is, we all just want answers. To find reason. Meaning. Explanation. Blame, even.

Take this week, for example, when I was cleaning my apartment and accidentally knocked over a framed print of…Stevie Wonder. (No joke!) It’s a gorgeous black and white shot that shows his brother placing his glasses on his face. My sister gifted it to me for my 40th birthday. In addition to its sentimental value, I spent a pretty centime on having it custom framed. Not only did the glass break into dozens of pieces, but one of them scratched the print itself. I’m devastated.

I would love to blame it on someone else and charge them for the damages. (One of the several people who stayed in my apartment over the last two months, for example. The reason I was cleaning so hard to begin with!) But it’s no one’s fault but my own and accidents happen. They also happen on random days that aren’t deemed anything other than just-another-day-in-the-life.

So the next time I save the wishbone to make a wish, I won’t be surprised if I “win” and it doesn’t come true. It’s just a silly game. And if I walk under a ladder, I’m not going to wait around for the sky to implode on me. That seems like a big waste of energy and cause for unnecessary anxiety. (Don’t get me started on Mediums—specifically the one who told me the letter “J” was an important one for potential love interests. Now, every time I meet a Justin…Jason…Jon…Jacques…well, you can just imagine the firestorm that goes on in my head and my heart.)

Things do usually happen in threes, though. That’s just statistics. :)

Bon week-end, friends. xx — Sara

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Clickable

• Because of course there’s a dancing cult on TikTok. | The Cut

• Memories of Fire Island—via long lost mixtapes. | The NY Times

• How a writer’s “real life” health foils... | (Part 1) Vanity Fair

• …became fodder for Grey’s Anatomy. | (Part 2) Vanity Fair 

• Heard v. Depp: “a victim’s credibility is a fragile thing.” | The Cut

• Holocaust victims are hard to remember. Still, we never forget. | The Atlantic 

• A sleepover in the Moulin Rouge. | (Me for) Conde Nast Traveler

• Updated: Where to Eat and Stay in Paris | (Me for) The Infatuation

• The world’s best new hotels & restaurants in the world. | (Me for) CNT

• Meet the “Diamond” behind the Nap Dress. | The Cut

• Jennifer Grey: “My value is not up for grabs.” | Shondaland

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Watchable

ICYMI, HBO has turned the best-selling novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, into a new series and it debuts on Sunday. I, for one, did miss it, so when I happened upon this trailer featuring a very hot, new-to-me actor (Bonjour Theo James!) and Ygritte, I mean Rose Leslie (IYKYK) I was super stoked. Can’t wait to watch!

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Mangez Bien: Paris Eats, Spring 2022

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Currently Overthinking…

…what hiking trails to hit in Israel’s Negev and whether to DIY or hire a guide…

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On Repeat: Elton John/Duo Lipa, “Cold Heart”

This song’s been out for a while now. In fact, when I stayed with my friend Rachel in LA she continued to be shocked at my culture unawareness. Alas, she was the one who got me hooked. For some reason, this week, I can’t stop listening to it. Go on. Try. I bet you’ll sing and do a little side-to-side-shimmy-shake, too.

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Souvenir: Kudos

I’m still operating in on-the-go-mode, which got me thinkin’ about on-the-go snacks, which got me thinkin’ about KUDOS! Remember the granola bars billed as healthy despite being filled with fudge, chocolate chips or peanut butter? (I was a fan of the latter.) Sadly, they discontinued them. But boy were they “simply nutritious, outrageously delicious!”

Don’t forget: Sponsoring a souvenir is a perk of being a paid subscriber.