Note: I'm ankle deep in a huge project right now that I can't share with the Internet as a Hole. But I have a conundrum: I'd also like to post, and skip merrily around commenting (occasionally excessively) on other blogs. And there's only so much abuse this keyboard can take. So, to solve this, from time to time I'll post something from my past - a "best of" from my syndicated weekly column or a story from my book or some musings from a previous life. And sometimes I'll just suck it up and write something new. And most of you reading this won't know which is which. So we're all happy.
This is a true story.
A friend of mine had an appointment recently to visit a psychic. She wanted to get her future foretold. But just as my friend was packing up to go and see this psychic, she got a call. The psychic had to cancel. Something unexpected had come up.
Excuse me - how does anything “unexpected” come up when you're a psychic?
I’ll tell you what should have happened: When my friend originally phoned for an appointment, the psychic should have said, "Let's see ... Monday night ... hmmm ... no, Monday's no good. My husband's going to double over at the dinner table. We'll rush him to the hospital - it'll be his appendix. But they'll operate and everything will be okay. By mid-week my life will be back to normal. How's Wednesday at nine...?"
In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, a real psychic shouldn't have any need for an appointment book. You should just be able to show up, out of the blue, confident that you’ve been expected for some time.
In fact, let's go even further - if you're dealing with the real thing, you should be sitting at home one evening when the phone rings: "Hi, you don't know me, but my name is Bob, and I'm a psychic. Your friend Dave is going to tell you about me, and you're going to be intrigued, and you're going to show up at my place on Monday. Well, I'm just calling to tell you that's a bad night for me."
Now, there's a psychic.
I don't mean to scoff. I know there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in my philosophies. But I can't help seeing the logical gap that opens up when a psychic get surprised.
Speaking of logical gaps, I have another friend who paid good money to have someone lead her through a "past-life regression". She got hypnotized and taken back through all these past lives she supposedly lived. For example, she had been a serving girl for Cleopatra in one life. In another she was one of Al Capone's henchmen.
It didn't seem to strike her as one bit curious that no matter at what point in history she surfaced, she was always right at the heart of the action. So she stood side by side with Al Capone in Chicago in the thirties rather than, say, spending that decade building a fire out of goat dung in a village in Tibet. Granted, that’s nowhere near as romantic - but come on, let’s face it, Capone only had so many henchmen.
If you ask me, people spend too much time with the past and the future. What we really need is someone who can tell us the present.
People should be willing to plunk down fifty bucks to have someone sit across the table and say: "Here's the way it is for you right now, here, in the present. You're in a decent job, but you're not putting enough money away for your retirement. You don't do enough to help out around the house, and you could ease up on your kids a bit - hey, weren't you young once? You want a new car, but get real - you can't afford the models you've been looking at. And look at you - get a haircut and lose thirty pounds. And by the way, that's not the best colour on you. That'll be fifty bucks. Next!"
I think we all could use someone like that from time to time. I'm just not sure we'd all be willing to pay for it. I'm one of the lucky ones - every day, my wife tells me my present, and doesn't charge a thing. And you know, most times, she's dead on. It's uncanny.
In fact, she's so good she's been thinking about telling other people their present for a small fee. You'll have to call ahead, make sure she's not busy.
Unless, of course, you're a psychic. Then you'll just know when to show up, won't you?
When they start winning the lotto, I'll believe in the power. In the meantime, i'd like to hire your wife to predict my daughter's grades at school.
Should we keep saving for college or just go ahead and plunk down on the hawaiian vacation instead? thanks..
Posted by: Laura | August 25, 2005 at 11:24 AM
What perfect timing, Nilbo! I sent my baby off to Kindergarten today and I'm seeing the future so clearly...soon they'll be gone and all that.
I needed a good kick in the behind today to remind me to stay in the present.
Posted by: suburban misfit | August 25, 2005 at 11:27 AM
I recall Madam Red Davis a well known physic in Winnipeg during the 60,70 and 80's. In December she would make predictions for the upcoming year. I was always curious if she predicted the time and date of her own demise...
concerning the future, I see old people....
Posted by: Jim Fogg | August 25, 2005 at 12:22 PM
Wouldn't psychic deja vu be "I sense that this will happen again, soon..."?
And I think my future would be pretty easy for anyone to read: "You will be even more of a flake tomorrow than you are today, and will relish the looks on people's faces when you show up in chaps with no pants underneath."
Posted by: Bucky Four-Eyes | August 25, 2005 at 12:48 PM
LOL
I posted on a slightly similar topic just the other day. The foretelling of the present is a great idea though ... I think someone is capitalizing on that already; his name is Dr. Phil.
As far as psychics are concerned, and what they can see and not see, I think I have a good understanding of how it works (if at all), from reading Marvel comics and watching the Dead Zone, LOL. As far as I can tell, most of the time you see what you focus on. Other times things come to you in flashes ... but if a psychic saw everything that's going to be happening to them all the time, and all at once .. they're brain would probably explode!
Posted by: this.is.damon | August 25, 2005 at 01:30 PM
I knew that you'd be posting this (haha)
I always think it is funny (in a sad sort of way) when a fortune teller goes belly-up--didn't they know what would happen?
I'll never know if your posts are old or new unless you start repeating yourself! Keep 'em coming!
Busy life here too....ciao!
Posted by: Effie | August 25, 2005 at 01:44 PM
I think the people that tell you your present are not psychics, but psychotherapists. Good ones, anyway.
I wanted to tell you that your comment on Kelly's "funk" post from the other day really hit home for me right now. So thanks. :) *HUGS*
Posted by: Ern | August 26, 2005 at 03:42 AM
Well IMHO psychics are not allowed to produce winning lottery numbers, because that is personal gain. Whether it be your gain or mine, it's altering the cosmos and it's a big "no-no". There are many phoneys out there no doubts at all. If someone wants you to pay 50.00 to remove a curse.. RUN.. or they say you were all these famous people.. ya.. that's a hint that they are out for your cash. It's trial and error. I hope maybe over some time and searching that you'll find a psychic who really is able to tell you what you need to know. We aren't supposed to know it all, we only come to this earth with a little hint. We chose to learn a life's lesson.. and if it was easy, what was the point of being here. Nothing is ever learned the easy way.. So, psychics can help you find if you are going the right way or if you need to make a left turn and try harder. Don't take all they say to heart.. but write it down and who knows what you'll run into and find that they were right :)
Laura (yes, I'm psychic) :)
Posted by: Laura | December 18, 2005 at 12:27 PM