M IS FOR...

M is for 'mystical-shymystical'...what else???
In my family everyone had the whooszh (ESP). Well, everyone but my Dad A'H. He would just shake his head and then stare in amazement when things came true.

I remember when I was about twelve and my Mom A'H bought a raffle ticket from the shul...I think. First prize was a thousand dollars and just what my Dad needed to pay the bank for the mortgage. Summer time was always tough in the house of a furrier.

The day of the raffle, Ma was in a deep conversation with him that went something like this:
SHE: Herbie, go get the thousand dollars.
HE: Leave me alone. You really think you are going to win.
SHE: Herbie, go get dressed, get into the car and get the thousand dollars.
HE: Shortie( I thought that was her real name until I went to high school). We need the money and it would be nice, but I'm not going to the shul and make an ass out of myself.

Before she had a chance to answer, the phone rang and a good friend excitedly told Ma that she had won the first prize...yup the thousand dollars.

My Dad ate crow for about fifteen years on that one.

We all had it. My Bubbie A'H ( she made us look like amateurs), my Mom, my Aunt, my brother and myself. We all just knew stuff.

By the time I was sixteen, I'd learned there was 'family' talk and 'stranger' talk. The family understood exactly and the strangers just give you that look. You know the look.

So what does a teenager living in a rather conservative city do? She finds other friends with the whooszh. First was Maeshey. He lived up the street and was part of our house and lives and love from the age of about seven. Maeshey invented the word wooszh. He still has it big time. As a matter of fact I just got another email from him with his latest...see we share our wooszh's...otherwise it's no fun.

Then there came Sharon. We imported her from Montreal. She has it big time too. And we are still in daily contact and whenever the wooszh comes up it is a normal part of our conversation. Trust me, the lady is good!

Then we discovered the Ouiji Board! We all sat around with that little glass scaring ourselves to death. Dad, on his way to bed always said, 'Again with the glass?' At which time, no matter what the ouiji was saying, it would stop and the message would be 'Good night Herbie!' No one messed with the ouiji.

I stopped the ouiji one day when I figured it must be some miserable soul stuck in there on it's way to a better place and when I go at 120 I don't want one of them to see me passing along and scream out HEY I KNOW THAT ONE...and there I'll be stuck in the glass forever and ever.

I think of the sight as a gift and never abuse it.

When everyone asked me what the hell I was going to do in Israel, I immediately answered, 'I'm going to rent a camel and sell fortunes to the tourists.'

Everyone laughed.

Until the day I got my first check as a published astrologer. As of this writing, I have taught astrology classes, writen seven books and have had a weekly column in both the Hebrew and English newspapers for almost twenty years. The last 13.6 years I have been the astrologer for the Jerusalem Post online and except for Jeruasalem...long story...am in the Friday edition of the paper nationwide.

I don't have a camel yet but I'm selling fotunes to the tourists. Look for me...Starcatcher...and may the force be with you!

Shavuah tov!

Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.