White Rabbit

The very fist practicum I ever did was at a kindergarten on the university campus. I started on the first of October. Why do I remember this? I remember because the teacher told me that on the first of every month the first words out of your mouth upon awakening should be 'white rabbit' and that would ensure good luck for the rest of the month.

I am not a superstitious person, but this one has stayed with me all of these forty years.

I rarely make it. Sometimes the first words out of my mouth upon awaking aren't even printable. And yet, every month I think about that teacher and those two words.

I often ponder about why I remember the things I do. Why some moments, small seemly insignificant moments, are embedded in my brain, and then other, seemly more impressive, memories are not.

Sometimes my husband, or sister, relate stories that I have been part of that I have absolutely no recollection of. Big moments. It is just weird.

I have often thought that at times in my life I check out, maybe going to an alternate universe.

I have strong memories of being in the upstairs bathroom in the house I grew up in and feeling odd. Like the room was disappearing, like time was passing very very slowly, like my brain was stepping outside of itself.

The only time I have had this experience as an adult was just before eye surgery when they had given me valium. Then I saw a giant snake moving along the floor, but those experiences in the upstairs bathroom? I have no idea what those were.

So why does 'white rabbit' stick in my mind, but not the first words I spoke when my first child was born?

Do any of you experience similar odd memories? Do any of you have superstitions you follow?

This inquiring mind wants to know.