Sep 01 2009
What Is Irish Luck? Am I Experiencing It?
I’ve been calling it Irish luck. It all started more than two years ago. I started having a string of very bad luck. Accidents, failures, income loss, and a lot of other minor things negatively impacted me. I kept reminding myself, though, that I had Irish luck–meaning all these stupidly bad things would happen to me and then my luck started to turn around.
While a lot of people tend to think the term ‘Irish luck’ just refers to good luck, it may actually refer to having good fortune in spite of a ridiculous amount of adversity.
In his article “Myths of St. Patrick’s Day,” Edward T. O’Donnell said: “What sort of luck is it that brings about 1,000 years of invasion, colonization, exploitation, starvation and mass emigration?” O’Donnell goes on to explain that the term was actually coined in America due to the success many Irish were having in the gold mines.
Either way, it suddenly started applying to me.
Aside from feeling that this change of luck would happen, I didn’t do anything or even really change my attitude. My attitude, unfortunately, got worse when my now-husband had a great deal of trouble finding work for months on end.
I started winning contests (even though I was entering less of them). I’ve been winning everything from small lottery winnings to show tickets to my dream wedding.
Like many Americans, I’m pretty much a mutt of various cultures and ancestries. Many of my ancestors, though, were from Ireland. On top of that, most of them were from different counties; one was even a Moor. Some were just interested in saving their own skin because they were Catholic while another favored complete union with the United Kingdom.
Karma? Good fortune? Something divine? Reaping the benefits of my ancestors’ suffering or hard work?
Many people, especially fans of The Secret, might say it’s all about positive energy. I’d say my friend Jen’s experiences with energy and circumstances may also be attributed to a positive attitude…but I’m not entirely convinced about that, or my ‘Irish luck.’
What do you think?
