Volume III. No. 01
 08-19-04
 One, Two, Three...
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2004
 

 What do Rick James, Fay Wray, and Julia Childs have in common?
 Absolutely nothing. The first was a washed-up former punk-funk
 star. The second was a beloved, but aged-dame from a long-gone 
 era of the cinema. The last was an icon of the "how-to" television 
 cooking shows. And a noted cookbook author on top of that.

 All three are now linked merely because of the timing of their deaths.

 Isn't it absolutely strange that whenever a famous - or in some cases
 infamous person - passes away the mind immediately wonders as to 
 who might be next. "Oh these things always happens in three's," is
 the watercooler conversation. And lo-and-behold within the next week
 or so -- it happens. There's another death of a prominent individual. 
 And then one final death to make three.

 Why do the famous die in three's? What's special about that number?

 The only thing as unfathomable is when planes start falling out of the 
 sky. First there is one horrific crash. And you can rest assured another 
 is soon to follow. Such disasters have happened in sequence too many 
 times in the past for it to be mere coincidence. At least that is what one 
 wants to believe. And planes are the safest mode of transportation 
 known to man.

 "Okay dear, we can cancel the flight to North Dakota to see your 
 mother." 

 So is all of this real? Rick James, Fay Wray, and Julia Childs are all
 dead. And so close together. But then in the past three weeks there
 have been countless deaths around the world. There have even been 
 some other notable names to pass, as well. But these unique three, 
 because of who they were in life, capture the imagination.

 So is the notice of their deaths just our collective human consciouness 
 seeking to create order where there isn't really isn't any? A trick of 
 the mind to take the random out of randomness.

 Perhaps now it is easy to speculate how easily mere coincedences
 can evolve into larger-than-life superstitions. Long ago, our ancestors 
 came up with outrageous ideas about why things happen the way
 that they do. All to make to make sense out of a world that was even 
 more mysterious than our own. Some cynics among us would even 
 offer that this is how most of the world's religions came to be. An 
 attempt by a frightened populace to be made to feel secure in a world 
 that yields its' secrets only grudgingly.

 How mysterious is Friday the 13th? { just last week! } In some cultures 
 nobody pays any attention to Friday the 13th. But in our own it is 
 remembered as the number of attendants at The Last Supper. Witches
 create covens that number 13 individuals. And as for Friday, that is 
 an all together important day in the Christian faith. Many Christians 
 believe Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday.

 In fact, Friday the 13th so spooks some people that the psychiatric
 community has come up with the term "paraskevidekatriaphobia"
 to describe a morbid fear of that day. Likewise, "triskaidekaphobia"
 is a fear of the number 13.

 Are you spooked enough already?

 They say that even the nastiest stereotypes comes from a place of 
 truth. And it is a well-known notion that just because you're paranoid 
 doesn't necessarily mean they aren't out to get you.

 Hmmm, maybe the next time there's a Friday the 13th, a famous death,
 or a plane crash. It might be good idea to pay a bit more attention. 

 Just can't be too sure about these things...
 

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