Rabbit Rabbit!

Rabbit Rabbit!
Superstitions have never found me hopping over sidewalk cracks for fear of breaking my mother’s back or dodging black cats, although as a child, a particular Rugrats episode had me believing if I accidentally swallowed a watermelon seed, such a fruit would grow in my stomach. But one particular superstition has had me following it for years on the first of every month.

It’s called “Rabbit Rabbit,” and like its name insinuates, rabbits are involved. No, not their feet – just their name. Legend has it that if “Rabbit Rabbit” is repeated on the first of every month right before anything else is said out loud, good luck will be brought upon the person for the entire month. 

As the first of every month approaches, I habitually begin to remind myself of the phrase I must repeat. In high school, my Mum was a steady prompter. Often, I would wake to her standing over me, finger pressed to her lips so I wouldn’t say “Good morning” before the golden phrase. In college, I would scribble “Rabbit Rabbit” on scraps of paper and leave them adhered to a wall or hanging from a ceiling. I even coaxed my roommate to say the now-colloquial phrase with me. 

Regularly, I encounter many peers who have never heard of this superstition before, which I always find odd. I remember first learning about ‘Rabbit Rabbit” from a 1990s Nickelodeon television show called “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee.” (Perhaps from here can I trace a personal interest in news and journalism). A former co-worker at a previous job, and now a good friend, bonded with me over our repeating of the phrase, as he too was met with bewildered looks when mentioning the superstition to others. Like clockwork, I will receive from him a text with simply “Rabbit Rabbit” at an early morning hour on the first of a month. As will he, from me. 

And now I share that reminder with you!

Incredulous or not, this harmless superstition is a simple reminder to look for the positives in our day-to-day lives. Good luck doesn’t have to appear in the form of winning the lottery. It can manifest itself in discovering a $5 bill in a pocket while doing laundry, a stranger returning something you’ve dropped or a difficult dish turning out delectable. Repeating the phrase evokes an evaluation of one’s good fortune, and even if it is said out of order or missed by a day, vocalizing the phrase still reminds me to look for the good in any situation, at any time. 

Don’t forget to say “Rabbit Rabbit” this Friday, July 1! 

This was my Letter from the Editor for this week in both of my weekly newspapers. I was pretty pumped that not only did I reference Nickelodeon, Rugrats and 'Rabbit Rabbit" in an editorial for this week, but also referenced Wolverine in a front feature photo caption. Hah!

The above photos come from our trip to Iowa where I photographed Doris' wedding. Sean and I were waiting in the hotel room while everyone else gathered their things in different rooms. I was flipping through the wedding photos I had already taken when I decided jumping on the bed needed to be documented. I didn't have a tripod so I rigged my camera with a flash into a relatively stable position using whatever was on the hotel desk. Sean makes just a single debut, as he was worried neighbors would complain that we were making too much noise - the bed would hit the wall each time I landed. That didn't bother me, so I kept going. I wanted a perfect shot with my legs crossed floating in mid air, but I think these out-takes, with the washed out flash, are so much more funny.