November 13, 2009
November 13th, 2009 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
“Today some people will be so paralyzed with fear they simply won’t get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. It’s Friday the 13th and they’re freaked out.” National Geographic News 2004
Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Ashville, North Carolina estimates that almost a billion dollars is lost in business on this day because of the fear of bad luck.
Dossey traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. “Balder died and the whole earth got dark. The whole earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day.” said Dossey. In addition, Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper.
The show this week is a compilation of a couple of past Thanksgiving shows. Guests include Meryl Streep and Leon Redbone. A special Thanksgiving Cantata is presented by Phillip Brunelle with Vern Sutton and Janis Hardy. Enjoy the show.
If you enjoy art, you have an opportunity to attend an open house this evening in the granite lobby of The Paramount Theater in downtown St. Cloud. Our own renaissance man, Dan Eller, lawyer, author and photographer will have his wildlife photos and the work of Victor Medina on display. The open house is from 6 until 8 PM. Also, artist Elly Van Diest is displaying her watercolor paintings in the lobby of US Bank across the street from The Paramount. Elly belongs to the Central Minnesota Watercolorists Group which is having their annual show this weekend at Atonement Lutheran Church.
“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” John Dryden
Category : General 