Lucky

"Lucky" artist: Stephanie Helguera

When I met Kristen I was sitting on a curb shaking off a rendezvous with the asphalt on a borrowed motorcycle. We carried on to Milwaukee then back and stopped on the south side for post concussion drinks at the treasured Bernice's Tavern. Our conversation featured my confident account of the history of starved rock and he called me on it. I wagered. Somebody had a "smart" phone and I had the story turned upside down. I lost the bet.

The wager was a real rabbit's foot keychain that the loser shot and skinned themselves. No problem. But, I couldn't bare to shoot one without eating it. So, I had to wait for the first freeze being that the cold would kill of any crud the bunnies picked up from romping in the alleys all summer. First I tried trapping but kept getting raccoons. You never know what you're gonna get. 4 months rolled by and no rabbit.

I couldn't stand the bet hanging over my head and my friend Stephanie was making these really cool layered paper motifs and I asked her to make me a rabbits foot as a promise gift. I love how it turned out. Might even get it tattooed on my eyelid. Meanwhile, I framed it and gave it to Kristen for Christmas. 

As I leave for Haiti, I am reminded that although we make our luck in life, carefully setting our duck's in a row, they soon begin to "shift and play games." One could use a little extra something in these circumstances despite preparedness. At the same time, I feel immense gratitude, shape-shifting and all, that the planet has afforded me another opportunity to see the world. In Haiti, in will be unavoidable to feel, to the bone, just how lucky I am.

 Be brave. M