As children, we were easily entertained. We loved fairs, carnivals, museums, amusement parks, parks in general, zoos, haunted houses, aquariums, water parks, those off the beaten path curiosities,... if it even seemed as if it might be fun, we wanted to try it. It was this spirit of adventure that lead us to a series of fortune tellers, usually at fairs or carnivals. It was all in good fun. Sometimes we'd get one that was right on the mark and pretty impressive. For children, this was extremely exciting.
Once we all gave up a precious ticket to be read by a mysterious lady in a darkly colored tent. Afterward, everyone sat on a nearby grassy hill sipping lemon shake ups and exchanging stories of what we were told. This was pretty much how we did things - saw the fortune teller, bought refreshments/snacks, waited on everyone else, exchanged stories, mercilessly teased each other. However, this time things were different. Three of my companions, were told how they were going to die. One guy was told he'd die by fire. One guy was told he'd die of an incurable disease. One guy was told he'd die by water. You'd think everyone would laugh it off and be done with it. This wasn't the case.
The guy who was told he'd die of an incurable disease. Is alive and still going strong.
The guy guy who was told he'd die by water, never swam again. He never went boating or fishing. He never drank water. He didn't like rain. He somehow never got wet when he went out in it. According to his brother he took record breaking short showers and rinsed his mouth out with mouth wash when he brushed his teeth. He took "die by water" very literally. Everyone tried to snap him out of this irrational fear but gave in because he was truly terrified. He was a nurse by profession. He never married. He never had children. He passed away of cancer.
The guy who was told he'd die by fire, became one of the finest volunteer firefighters. He never missed a call. He never hesitated to assist even if the situation was dire, even if it required him to run into a burning building. He was a loyal friend, husband, and father. He served in the military. He was a marine. He was an engineer by profession. He loved hiking, spelunking, video games and spending time with his family and friends. He was heading home one day when his tire went flat. He pulled over to the side of the road to change it. From what we were told, he was killed on impact by another vehicle. It was a tragedy but he lived his life instead of being afraid.
Just because you're told or even if there's evidence to support that something may occur, we all have choices. You can't live life by being in constant fear.
