Omens and Portents

On my way to the office, I passed a white dove sitting on a fence and just staring at me. My presence didn't seem to frighten the dove at all, and it's rare to see white doves around here anyway.

So it popped into my head, "is this an omen?"

But then, an omen of what? What possible meaning could I divine from a white dove? Maybe lots of other people passed by the same dove on their way to work as well. Was it an omen for them?

I've decided it isn't an omen or warning or anything else - just a white dove sitting on a fence.

I have never been superstitious. Like teammates on the football and basketball teams back in high school, I didn't have a pair of "lucky socks" or a pregame ritual or any other quirky little superstitious aid. But those who did would probably tell me that's why I didn't become a great player and got injured.

Naw.

My grandmother (my mother's mother) was very superstitious. I think she brought them over from Scotland. She got very upset once when I broke a mirror, not for breaking the mirror, but for the bad luck it was sure to bring me. Come to think of it, she might have been right - I sure have had more than my share of bad luck. She had other quirky little superstitions that I never was quite sure whether they were serious or all in fun.

Like picking your feet up when crossing a bridge, or holding your breath past the cemetary, or ...

I'm just pretty dense. I won't recognize any "signs" unless they involve God Himself slapping me up-side the head and yelling at me to do or not do something.